It Takes Teamwork (I Corinthians 3:8-10)

I Corinthians 3:8-10, Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building. According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.

John Wooden was the basketball coach at UCLA for twenty-seven years. He never had a losing season. Wooden's teams won seven consecutive national championships, and UCLA posted an eighty-eight-game winning streak that spanned four seasons. Surprisingly, he never talked to his players about winning. Wooden's formula for success was to emphasize constant improvement and performance. He avoided getting his teams "up," because he knew that would eventually bring a valley. Instead, he was never satisfied with past performances; they could always be improved. Improvement meant rigorous preparation toward new goals. "I believe that failure to prepare is preparing to fail," Wooden told his players. But the coach never prepared his teams to play a particular opponent; he prepared his teams to play anyone, at any time.

Wooden preached that success was not outscoring the opponent, it was being able to hold your chin up after the game and know that you have given your best effort. Of course, if you have done your best, the score will usually be to your liking, when you are deserving. Wooden was more concerned about his players' character than ability. A person with good character will respond to adversity by learning and overcoming. Wooden believed that good players will be honest, consistent, and work together as a team, and if those players also have ability, they will become true champions.

Every day of our lives, whether we realize it or not, we are building up a reputation by which we will be known. The things that we do and the lives that we touch will be remembered for good or ill. Reputations are not quickly made. Instead they are the slow and gradual accumulation of deeds, words and habits as they are observed by others.

As a family of God, we are laborer’s together with God. We, the Lord’s children, are on the same team and strive to accomplish His game plan. When we are on His team, we value the team above our own. We value the team’s goals, principles, and values. We are willing to do our part for the good of the team and no sacrifice is too great. As team players we follow instructions and stick with the game plan. As team mates we respond eagerly without hesitation. We trust the leader’s commitment and we point others to the leader and encourage them to follow his lead.

Prayer: Father in Heaven, I am both humbled and honored that I get to be apart of Your team. Help strengthen me I may do my part and never hesitate to answer when You call. In Jesus name, Amen.

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Burning with Bitterness (Hebrews 12:15)

Hebrews 12:15, Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;

There was a woman who was sick after being bitten by a dog. She went to the doctor to see if the dog had rabies. He examined her, did a number of tests and told her the bad news. “I’m sorry to have to tell you this, but I’m afraid you’ve contracted rabies.” The doctor left the room for a minute, and when he returned the woman was busy writing on a piece of paper. He asked, “What are you doing, writing your will?” She said, “No, I’m making a list of all the people I’m going to bite before I die.” There was a lot people she was bitter at. That’s just the way most people think about revenge.

When a person becomes offended and doesn’t deal with that offense correctly, that bitterness often churns so long in a person’s soul that it turns into a root of bitterness. God is telling you that if you don’t repent of bitterness and remove it from your life, it becomes deeply embedded in your soul. Once it becomes this deeply rooted in your soul, your negative opinion of the offender will become firmly fixed.

Where does bitterness come from? Bitterness can come about as the result of what others do to us or say about us. Sometimes, bitterness can result from the events of life themselves, as we blame God or others for our troubles. Bitterness will affect every relationship within your life, but it will affect your relationship with the Lord most of all. A man who hates to be slapped on the back packs his coat with TNT and waits for the man who always slaps his back. His idea is when he hits me, I will get him, I'll blow him up. Hate may kill the person who you hate, but it will also kill you as well. Hating people is like burning down your own house to get rid of a rat.

Hatred and bitterness hurt the hater much more than the one hated. Hating someone holds little effectiveness. The one that is hated often is unaware of the hatred and unaffected by it. Yet the one who hates is often consumed with the feelings and allows them to govern their thoughts and actions. We cannot control everything that happens to us, but we can control how we respond to those things that happen to us. A wise one once said, "I will never allow another person to ruin my life by making me hate him." Whenever someone does something to us, we can choose how we will respond.

Right now, you may be in a mess, but it is never too late to follow the Lord. There is a price to pay for disobedience, but God can take the broken pieces of your life and mend them back together. The Holy Spirit is willing, ready, and waiting to help you grab hold of those roots of bitterness and pull them clear out of your life. All He needs is your invitation, so why don’t you go ahead and ask Him to assist you right now?

PRAYER: Father in Heaven, I ask You to examine my heart and expose any resentment or unforgiveness lest any root of bitterness would spring up inside me. Help me to walk in the Spirit that I may produce the Fruit of the Spirit. In Jesus name, AMEN!

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Take the Lord at His Word (Philippians 4:19)

Philippians 4:19, But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

George Müller founded the Scriptural Knowledge Institute for Home and Abroad. It sent out over 160 missionaries from Britain, distributed 111 million gospel tracts, supported 2,000 orphans in five orphanages, and trained 121,000 students.

George Müller was a man who knew a great deal about faith. His large orphanages provided care to thousands of children, yet he never publicly asked anyone for money. Instead he prayed. Regarding faith and trials Müller wrote: “God delights to increase the faith of His children...I say, and say it deliberately—trials, difficulties and sometimes defeat, are the very food of faith...We should take them out of His hands as evidences of His love and care for us in developing more and more that faith which He is seeking to strengthen in us.”

Müller believed that God would supply his material needs through prayer alone. He relied on gifts for his ministry and personal support, but only the Lord knew of the needs. One day, a man arrived at one of Müller's orphanages. A woman opened the door and said, "Have you brought the bread?" The man replied, "What bread?" "The bread for the children. It is five minutes before mealtime." He found many children waiting patiently for breakfast. In a few minutes the woman came back saying, "The bread has come." A cart of bread had been delivered in answer to prayer.

Later, the man learned they needed about $25,000 that day by noon. Mr. Müller confessed, "I don't know where a penny of it is coming from, but it is certainly coming." A letter from India arrived and was opened in the visitor's presence. It contained a draft for the exact amount needed. Proverbs 15:29, The Lord is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous.

Over $500,000 was given to the Institute. Müller gave away most of it and left a personal estate valued at less than one thousand dollars. Are you looking to the Lord for the needs in your life? In prayer give thanks to Jesus Christ—the supplier of every good thing. Let Him know your needs.

Points to Ponder:

• Our great God has the resources to supply all our needs.
• God has never had to scramble to come up with a backup plan or to figure out how to resolve a problem.
• He has everything that is needed for any circumstance we face.
• Regardless of the circumstances you face, God is always able to provide exactly what you need in His perfect timing.
• Since there are no limits on what God can do, we never need to fear lacking resources for His work.

PRAYER: Lord, thank you that no circumstance is too far out of Your control to provide. I thank You that You own it all, and hold everything in Your hands. You know my needs before I even ask, before I come to You. I ask for Your answer, in Your timing, in Your plan. Thank You for the abundance of blessing and goodness You have already stored up. Thank You for teaching me to be content in all circumstances, I trust You this day, and every day, I love You Lord, I leaning on You. In Jesus name I pray. Amen

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A Time to Keep Silence, and a Time to Speak
(Ecclesiastes 3:7b) - PART 3

Power of Words (Proverbs 18:21)
​
Proverbs 18:21, Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

Candid communication – specifically between husband and wife – is critical for creating connection and lasting joy. But should you be able to say whatever you want to your spouse? I’ve always tried to be careful what I say to my wife. But many believe you should be able to say whatever you want to your spouse. They call it “just being honest.” On the other hand, some are too careful about what they say because they’re trying to get a particular response from their mate. Actually, that’s manipulation, and I’ve never seen it work to create true connection in any relationship.

Proverbs 15:1, 4, A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger. A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit. People can either push each other away with a sharp tongue, or build bridges and bring others closer together with their words. The way parents speak to their children has a great effect on how those children learn to think. The way husbands and wives speak to each other affects their marriage and impacts their relationship.

4 Reasons to Be Careful What You Say:

1. Words can hurt. Think before you speak: Is what you are about to say to be taken as attacking, blaming, or criticizing? Just because you’re hurt does not give you the right to hurt someone in return.
2. Words can heal. Be kind and gracious toward one another. You may have heard that “hurt people hurt people.” Consider what might be behind another’s behavior. Chances are they are acting defensively by being offensive.
3. Words can curse. Assuming the worst about your spouse and saying it aloud is the same as pronouncing a curse. Trust me, you don’t want to speak out that kind of potentially self-fulfilling prophecy! (James 3:10)
4. Words can bless. Paul’s admonition to “but speaking the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15), does not give you permission to tell your mate everything wrong with them. Instead speak the truth about how God sees your spouse.

Words are powerful, and they can have a great impact either for good or evil (Proverbs 18:21). Being careful about what we say can affect others’ lives as well as our own. Words can take on a life of their own, and we can hurt another person deeply if we speak carelessly. Whether we’re deliberately hurtful, or we speak comfort and encouragement, the effect of what we say always comes back to us. We can break others’ spirits when we speak negatively toward them over an extended period of time. The emotional pain, discouragement, and resentment this generates can eventually cause others to shy away from us. We’re all susceptible to making this mistake if we don’t exercise self-control in what we say.

PRAYER: Father in Heaven, help me to speak life and encouragement to those around me. Teach me to walk in love always offering words of kindness, love, and grace so that I do not grieve the Holy Spirit. Help me to be wise and use my tongue to speak healing words. Teach me to know when to speak and when to be still or pray. And when I speak, help me to speak the truth in love. I don’t want my service to You to be worthless because I cannot bridle my tongue. In Jesus name, Amen!

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A Time to Keep Silence, and a Time to Speak (Ecclesiastes 3:7b) - PART 2
 
Guarding Your Words (Proverbs 12:23)
 
Proverbs 12:23, A prudent man concealeth knowledge: but the heart of fools proclaimeth foolishness.
 
Someone once said, “The most difficult thing to master is our words. It is not so much what goes in one ear and comes out the other that bothers us, it is what goes in one ear, gets garbled in the process, and then comes out the mouth!”

A foolish person doesn't know 'there is a time to be silent and a time to speak' (Ecclesiastes 3:7; Proverbs 11:13). So he blurts out what he thinks is knowledge but it comes over as folly. He just wants to show off and is totally insensitive to the company and the occasion.
 
Prudence helps us avoid danger because it recognizes what is going on around us. Our English word prudence comes from the Latin word for “seeing ahead.” One of the most important ways in which prudence is displayed (and by which it protects us from danger) is in the matter of our speech. Prudent people do not feel the need to tell everything they know to everyone they meet. Someone once said, “If I don’t tell you what I know, how will you know that I know so much?” The temptation to be recognized as one of those “in the know” often leads us to speak when we should be silent.
 
There is a time to speak out and confront evil, but most of us speak too much rather than too little. Instead of proclaiming the latest about everyone, we would avoid a great deal of trouble if we prudently kept our mouths closed. If we continue to open our mouths about everyone and everything, we will certainly create trouble for ourselves and for others. If you have a problem with a person, you should talk to them and God about it—and not others.
 
It is impossible to overestimate how important our speech and words are to our success in life. The hearts of the righteous are revealed through their speech, as are the hearts of the wicked. Jesus spoke of the importance of this in Matthew 12:33-37.  
 
Words are the fruit of the heart. Other people judge us according to what we say, and one day we must account to God for every word we have spoken. According to James 3:2, those who are able to completely control their tongues are mature believers.
 
According to Matthew 7:6, silence may not mean ignorance but greater knowledge – of what should be said, to whom and when. Christians can do harm by blurting out precious words to those not in a right condition to receive them.
 
PRAYER: Father in Heaven, I thank You for the Bible and for all the wise instructions you have given me in it. I thank You for Your Holy Spirit to guide me for those times I needed to keep my mouth shut. Teach me to be more inclined to open my ears rather than opening my mouth. In Jesus name, Amen!

 Thank you for reading this devotion. This is PART TWO of this series. Please visit the website tomorrow for PART THREE.

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A Time to Keep Silence, and a Time to Speak
​(Ecclesiastes 3:7b) - PART 1
 
He Opened Not His Mouth (Isaiah 53:7)
 
Isaiah 53:7, He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
 
When Jesus stood before Pilate in judgment, He said in Matthew 26:53, “Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?” Yet the Bible says “He opened not his mouth”. He would be as silent as a sheep before its shearers. When He was brought before Pilate, Jesus just stood there and said nothing (Matthew 26:62-63; 27:12-14; I Peter 2:23). During much of His affliction and oppression He was completely silent. At other times He spoke only a few words. That’s because He was not on trial, Pilate was on trial. Jesus knew His destiny but most importantly, He knew His Father intimately. When you know the LORD, you can face anything with confidence and be free to be quiet. What peace He brings in the most precarious predicaments.
 
Sometimes it is wise to keep silent. To say, “I don’t have the answer right now but I will pray, ponder over it, and get back with you.” Your need to rescue someone, or impress them can often come back to bite you. Proverbs 12:23, A prudent man concealeth knowledge: but the heart of fools proclaimeth foolishness. There is virtue and wisdom in being discreet. When a wise man speaks, he conceals that which he cannot discreetly reveal. When a foolish man speaks, he holds back nothing but speaks all that he knows, which is mostly foolishness. The foolish blab about everything they know. Loose lips reveal things which ought to be concealed. The news media had a problem with this during WWII. During World War II, the news media was kept from a lot of information by the government because they could not be trusted to keep their mouths shut on sensitive issues. Loose lips characterize the news/social media of our day.
 
When people are anxious for answers, they’ll pressure you into speaking before you have all the facts or have taken time to pray and consider the situation. If you ask Him, God will tell you what to say and when to say it. His promise is found in Isaiah 51:16, And I have put my words in thy mouth, and I have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand…Ego says, “Don’t just stand there, say something.” Wisdom says, “Don’t just say something, stand there”. Ask God for His insight. One insight from Him can settle things in a hurry and rescue you from a lengthy headache. Someone else’s need to know shouldn’t determine your need to speak.
 
PRAYER: Father in Heaven, I know my tongue is very swift and slippery, and often gets ahead of my mind and heart. I’m sorry for those times I have spoken in anger or gossip. Help me to be slow to speak. May my words always be with grace and seasoned with salt, and careful as I answer everyone. In Jesus name, Amen.
 
Thank you for reading this devotion. This is PART ONE of this series. Please visit the website tomorrow for PART TWO.
 
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Confidence in Christ (Romans 8:28)

Romans 8:28, And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Let's face it. No one likes trials. Nobody wants to go through difficult circumstances. We don't particularly like the idea that suffering or persecution might be God's will for us. However, God is far more concerned with our character than with our circumstances. Circumstances are one of His tools to shape our character. He would like us to learn our lessons through studying the Word, but He also lets us learn them by putting us into situations where we have to apply what the Word says.

If we aren't careful, we will mistake our fleshly desires for ease, and comfort for God's leading. It isn't surprising that people buy into wrong doctrines—those teaching that, if we'll just have enough faith, we'll have all the money we want, all the healing we want, everything we want. Sure, we really want those things to be true, but God doesn't fit neatly into our box, and often His use of providential circumstances means difficult times for us.

However, there is good news. God is sovereign, He is able to turn the difficult times around and cause them to work for our good. I am not saying that God causes bad things to happen to His people. What I am saying is that, because He is sovereign, He can use anything that happens to us to accomplish His will. And when we grumble and complain about our circumstances, in effect, we are accusing God of mishandling our life.

Because God is sovereign, He is able to accomplish His purpose through whatever life throws at us. He causes all things to work toward His ultimate purpose. What an incredible principle! Perhaps as you look back over your past, there are places where you stumbled over the circumstance’s life brought.

Circumstance after circumstance Joseph found life sending him where he did not want to go. His jealous brothers sold him as a slave. The vindictive wife of Pharaoh had him thrown in prison on false charges. The man whom Joseph helped in prison forgot about him once he was set free. If most of us were faced with similar circumstances, we would become bitter and angry. Those who become sour with life simply do not understand or trust God's sovereignty.

Again, and again in Genesis 45, when his brothers are grieving, Joseph basically says to them, "You didn't do this; God did this." In Genesis 50:20, he gives further clarity. He responds, But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. In his responses, when questioned by his brothers about what had happened to him, Joseph teaches us to trust God with His providential circumstances in our lives. Joseph trusted God's purpose of those circumstances, and saw them as evidence of His will.

Question to Consider:
What are the most difficult trials that you have been through?
How might God be working them for your ultimate good?
Are there any situations from your past that make you bitter toward someone or some event?

Point to Ponder:
There is no comfort in the view that God is not sovereign over the shocking circumstances that happen to us.
There is great comfort in knowing that the sovereign God is working all things together for good for His people.
Although you may not be where you need to be in your Christian walk, you can trust the Lord is working for the good!

PRAYER: Father in Heaven I know You love me and it amazes me that You made plans for me before the foundations of the world. Thank You Father for caring for me. I know the thoughts and plans You have for me are for Your glory and for my good. Whatever I may face today, I can expect that You are working for good in all of it. So, I’m going to step forward in faith, trusting You in all things and seeking to cooperate fully with Your plans for me. I know I can’t imagine all the good You have planned for my life, but I also know it’s all coming in Jesus’ name, so I can say, amen!

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What To Do When You’re Sinking? (Matthew 14:30-31)

Matthew 14:30-31, But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

The mighty disciple had just done the impossible, he challenged the Lord to let him walk upon the sea, the Lord bid him to come, and so the disciple leaped onto the waters and started walking. He had experienced what only one other man had ever experienced, that other man was the Lord. As Peter took one step after another, he realized what was happening, the impossible was happening, his fleshly nature got the best of him. Peter took his eyes off the Lord. He began to look around, instead of seeing Jesus, he saw the raging storm, he saw the waves, he felt the mighty wind, he became afraid and started to sink.

Often times we enter into the place of wonderful experiences, things seem to be going so wonderful, so great, then like Peter we take our eyes off of the Lord, we look at the circumstances of life, and we began to sink. It is a fact that if you take your eyes off of the Lord, you will go under. It is a fact, it is not a probability, if you stop looking at the Lord, trouble is heading your way.

In his moment of despair, Peter did something that was so right, he cried out to his Lord, “Lord, Save Me”!!! In our moment of distress we must learn to find Jesus and cry out unto Him. He is available, He is able, and He wants to help.

When the storms of life rage, God wants us to keep our eyes on Jesus, Lord of the wind and waves. No matter what is happening, no matter what will come your way, God is in complete control, working for your good and His glory. Wait in faith—let Him guide and sustain you even in the storms of life.

Questions to Consider:

• What is distracting you from being focused on the Lord?
• What figurative waves are crashing against you?
• If there was one change you made to your daily routine or thought life that could help your eyes stay fixed on Jesus, what would it be?

Points to Ponder:

• Today is an opportunity not to sink into distraction, but to focus on the Lord.
• When the storms of life rage, God wants us to keep our eyes on Jesus.

PRAYER, God, I confess I’ve allowed myself to be distracted, and I don’t want to be anymore. Please forgive me. I want to trust You. Give me the strength and self-control I need to fix my eyes on You. Help me keep my attention on my Saviour, so I can learn what You want me to learn and be who You want me to be. You are worthy of my full attention. I want to hear Your voice. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Inherited Wealth (I Peter 1:4)

I Peter 1:4, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,

In 1949, Jack Wurm was broke and out of a job. One day he was walking along a San Francisco beach when he came across a bottle with a piece of paper in it. As he read the note, he discovered that it was the last will and testament of Daisy Singer Alexander, heir to the Singer sewing machine fortune. The note read, "To avoid confusion, I leave my entire estate to the lucky person who finds this bottle and to my attorney, Barry Cohen, share and share alike." To amazement, the courts accepted the theory that the heiress had written the note 12 years earlier, and had thrown the bottle into the Thames River in London, from where it had drifted across the oceans to the feet of a penniless and jobless Jack Wurm. His chance discovery netted him over 6 million dollars in cash and Singer stock.

Imagine what it would have been like to be walking in those footprints on that San Francisco beach? What a find, and yet, 6 million dollars doesn't even begin to compare with our spiritual inheritance in the Lord Jesus Christ. Peter reveals that wonderful, mega promise for the citizens of Heaven. We have an inheritance coming to us that is far greater than any earthly inheritance you might receive. The full enjoyment of our inheritance is coming soon. We already have the earnest or down payment of our inheritance in Christ in the person of the Holy Spirit.

Peter says that our salvation is an inheritance kept in Heaven for us. Of course, Christ Himself is our inheritance. But it also includes all that He has provided and will provide for those whom He has purchased with His blood. God has not only begotten us again to a living hope but also to an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away. God has chosen us not only to salvation but to an eternal inheritance that will not be taxable, nor wear out, nor diminish in value. It is reserved in heaven for you. Therefore, our salvation includes not only a living hope of eternal life now, but also of an eternal inheritance upon arrival there.

Salvation in Christ gives us an inheritance of immeasurable wealth, for it is Divine wealth. Few people are interested in this inheritance because they are more interested in what this present world can offer. This inheritance in Christ is incorruptible and will never diminish in value. Too often when one obtains an inheritance in this world it disappoints and brings more troubles than delights. This world has nothing that can ever compare to it. This inheritance is reserved, which means to guard, protect, keep safe. This world’s inheritances have been stolen, lost by poor investment, etc. No government can protect an inheritance like God protects our inheritance.

This inheritance is not for the unbeliever. It is only for those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Many in our world will not receive this inheritance. Their riches are limited to this world. The inheritance of the redeemed is far superior. My friend, you may not have much by way of material things, but when you were born again you became rich.

PRAYER: Father in Heaven, the more I read Your Word the more I understand of what I have in Your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. I want nothing this world has to offer me, but to be more like Christ. May I shine bright for Him until He comes. In Jesus name, AMEN!

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Jesus is the Messiah (John 1:41)

John 1:41, He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.

Charles Jennens was a very well known figure in his society. He was quite a site as he road into town on his magnificent coach drawn by four plumed horses. On Saturday, August 22, 1741, he brought a scrapbook with him to Handel's small study. He told Handel, "Here is a collection called The Messiah. Can you make an entertainment out of it?" When Jennens left, Handel started studying the text he received. He noticed that the words had been taken from Scripture. Handel felt that Jennens had really outdone himself this time, for the words sang like cardinals on a beautiful spring day. Handel started writing at once. He wrote so fast that the ink had scarcely dried on one page before he started another. The musical score was covered with splotches, but the Master did not notice them. He was oblivious to the whole world around him. Handel admitted later, "Whether I was in my body or out of body as I wrote The Messiah, I know not." He remained in the little front room on the first floor of his house, not for twenty-four hours, but for twenty-four days, setting down thousands of musical notes to Jennen's excerpts from the Bible. Handel was so consumed in what he was doing that he failed to touch his food that was brought regularly to him by his servant. Sometimes the servant stood in silent wonder as tears would drip from Handel's cheeks like the morning dew from lilies. They would mingle with the ink as they puddled on the pages. Once the servant found Handel sobbing with emotion. He had just finished the renown "Hallelujah Chorus" which brought the Queen to her feet when she heard it sung. Handel said of this chorus, "I thought I saw all Heaven before me and the great God Himself." You can understand what He is saying if you have ever heard this chorus.
King of kings... Forever and ever,
And Lord of lords... forever and ever.
And He shall reign for ever and ever.
And He shall reign for ever and ever.

Ever since Jesus made His first public appearance, He had been trying to reach the nation of Israel. He was their Messiah and He did everything He could do to convince them of that truth.

His miracles, His teachings, His compassion and His power were all clear evidence that the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament had appeared. Yet, when Israel saw Jesus, they refused to accept Him as their Messiah, their Lord or their Saviour.

Jesus was rejected by the religious leaders in Israel, Mark 8:11. He was rejected by the nation as a whole, Mark 6:3. He was even judged to be a mad man by His Own family, Mark 3:21. This total rejection is summed up by the Apostle John when he said, “He came unto his own, and his own received him not,” John 1:11.

Even as Jesus was attempting to reach Israel, He was also trying to teach His disciples. Jesus spent many months teaching them, displaying His power and revealing His identity to His men in powerful ways. For the longest time, they were blind to His identity. Even though they saw Jesus heal the sick, cast out demons, control the forces of nature, multiply bread and fish and raise the dead; they still could not grasp just Who Jesus was.

Jesus is Messiah. Christ, Anointed One. Messiah is the Hebrew word, translated into Greek, as Christ. Both words mean "Anointed One" (one especially appointed by God for His plan and purpose).

He shall reign forever and ever for He is the Lord Jesus Christ. God has highly exalted Him and given Him a name which is above every name. At the name of Jesus every knee shall bow one day and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

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