Who Is Jesus?

 

Who is Jesus to you?  Do you identify Him by name?  By title? By occupation? By profession?  By genealogy? By heritage?  By place of birth?  By length of life? By roots?  By character?  By miracles? By parables? By spoken words?

Consider John 1:1, 2, 14.  ‎"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was with God in the beginning.  ¹⁴ The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us ..."

Who is Jesus to me?  At this point in my time, He is the Word.  He, Jesus, the Word was in the beginning.  When was the beginning?  Before the world was created.  And Jesus was there.  Wow!  To me, that is astounding, absolutely amazing.   So Jesus was there before the creation of the world (see John 17:5).  As the Holy Spirit was hovering over the waters, God spoke the Word -- Jesus, and the creation unfolded.

Since I am made in the image of God, when I speak the Word, I can create my destiny, my future.  I can speak things that are not as though they are, and they become real in my life. Clearly, there is power in the Word. This Word I need to know.  This Jesus I need to know.

Who is Jesus to you?

Is Anything Too Hard for God? part 3

What was Joseph thinking when his brothers threw him into a pit too deep for him to escape?  What was he thinking when they sold him to foreigners who were on their way to Egypt? What was  this favorite child of his father thinking when he was sold as a slave in a foreign land? On what were his thoughts as he slept night after night in a strange place, resigning himself to never seeing his family again?  When falsely accused by Potiphar's wife, what did he think? What could Joseph have been thinking when he was unjustly imprisoned?  When he interpreted dreams for his fellow prisoners, and asked the chief cupbearer to remember him upon his release, what was this believer in God thinking?  More than two years later when the cupbearer remembered Joseph to the Pharaoh, what was Joseph thinking when he was taken from the dungeon to Pharaoh?

Were you in Joseph's place at anytime along the way, what would your thoughts have been?  Like maybe -- God, is this too hard for you?  Are you real?  Are you there?  How am I missing you? Why have you forsaken me?  Is this really too hard for you? In your present situations and circumstances, hear the answer in the question from Almighty God.  "‎I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?" (see Jeremiah 32:27)

Is Anything Too Hard for God? part 2

More often than I'd like, I have come to realize that I really don't fully expect that God will move in some situations in my life.  I memorize the Scriptures, I quote the Scriptures, I pray the Scriptures.  Yet, there is that part of me that believes either God can't, or he won't move on my behalf.  Sometimes, I never even ask God to help or to intervene.  I choose to believe that I am facing an impossible circumstance, and that's just the way it is.  There are occasions when I think the matter is so trivial that it doesn't warrant calling on God. Then sometimes I think an issue is the status quo.  Everybody is dealing with this issue.  God isn't changing their lives, so neither will He change mine. 

What about you?  Ever feel the same way, or have similar thoughts?

Could it be a deeply ingrained belief that some things are too hard for God?  Could it be that God raised this question with the prophet Jeremiah back then, and so it's not applicable today?   Right now, I remind myself of God's message to Jeremiah (32:27).  "I am the LORD, the God of all mankind.  Is anything too hard for me?" And I encourage you to remind yourself. Whether a little health issue or a big one ... small debt or huge debt ... minor problem or major problem ... lost a job or got a job ... nothing is too hard for God.  That's a message from God to you and to me, right now.

What Does God Ask of You? part 3

" ... what does the Lord your God ask of you but to ... love him ... ." 

(see Deuteronomy 10:12-13)

What does God ask of you but to love Him?  Simple, just love Him.  How difficult can that be?  Two words -- love Him.  That's all God asks.  Seems easy enough, but is it really?  How faithful are you to loving Him? On a scale of 0 (no faithfulness, complete self-centeredness) to 10 (perfect faithfulness, total God centeredness), rate yourself.

Here is the space for your love Him rating _____.

Your love Him rating, what does that mean?  Are you clear on what love is? How do you love Him? Surely, God has already provided answers to all your questions.  Jesus said,  "if anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching."  Jesus continues, "he who does not love me will not obey my teaching."  (see John 14:23-24)  So then, your love Him rating is a factor of your obedience to His teaching.   Another way of rating could be this.  How obedient are you to His teaching?  On a scale of 0 (total disobedience to His teaching) to 10 (total obedience to His teaching), rate yourself.

Here is the space for your obedience to His teaching rating _____.

Are your two ratings the same?  Why? Why not?  How do you increase your ratings?  What would God have you do?

What Does Ask of You? part 2

" ... what does the Lord your God ask of you but to ... walk in all his ways ... ."

(see Deuteronomy 10:12-13)

Consider Saul, the young man ... learned in Jewish law ... zealous for what he believed ... committed to the cause ... bold persecutor of Jesus.  After years of intense persecution of the church, initially referred to as the Way, Saul encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus.  The bright light blinded him as he fell to the ground.  Jesus asked "why are you persecuting me?"  (see Acts 9:4) Saul's Damascus road experience miraculously changed his heart and his very soul.  His zeal for the gospel of Christ was unwavering. His commitment to the cause of Jesus Christ was unshakeable.  This bold persecutor of Jesus became just as bold a warrior against the spiritual forces of evil.

Despite his years of intense persecution of the Christians, God used Saul mightily.  The spirit and actions of Saul used for bad, God changed, including his name to Paul, and used him for His good.  Paul's commission, his charge, his assignment was to evangelize the Gentile world, and to suffer much for the name of Jesus (see Acts 9:15-16).

Are you available to be used by God?  No matter what your past, God has a future for you.  Will you choose Jesus and His ways or choose to remain set on the world's ways?  How far away from home are you willing to travel? How much time are you willing to devote to a particular assignment?  How much of your personal finances will you devote to the work of ministry?  Will you stay focused no matter how great the challenges you face?  Are you, at times, ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ?  Will you stand for what's right when all around you choose not to do so?  Will you walk in all His ways?

 

What Does God Ask of You? part 1

"... what does the LORD your God ask of you but to ...

observe the LORD's commands and decrees ... ."

(see Deuteronomy 10:12-13)

Consider the prophet Jonah.  God commanded him to go up, i.e., to go north, to Nineveh and preach against it. Jonah, apparently realizing that if Nineveh repented, God would not punish them for their sins against His chosen people.  So what did Jonah do? He went down, i.e., south to Tarshish.  God said go up, Jonah went down.  God said go north, Jonah went south.

How have you been like Jonah?  In what way(s) has the spirit of Jonah overtaken you? What has God asked you to do that you have, in actuality, done just the opposite? Where has God told you to go and you have refused?  To whom has God asked you to witness and you have chosen not to?  What has God advised against, and you've done anyway?  When God has said YES, you've said NO.  When God has said NO, you've said YES.

What difficulties are in your way because of disobedience to God's commands?  What lack may you be experiencing due to not giving as God has asked?  What sickness and disease are in your body because of your choice to not properly care for it?  What door of opportunity have you chosen not to walk through?  What relationship(s) is out of order because of your disobedience to His decrees?

God has not changed.  The same obedience He required of Jonah then, He requires of you today.  Choose willingness and obedience so that you may eat the best of the land (see Isaiah 1:19).

Is Anything Too Hard for God?

"I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?"
Jeremiah 32:27

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the issues of life? Ever felt that you were between a rock and a hard place?  Have your choices ever seemed like six in one hand, a half dozen in the other? Through the ages, so have other people of God thought and felt the same way.

In the 32nd chapter of Jeremiah, God tells his people that he has chosen Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, to take them captive, set the city of Jerusalem on fire, and burn it down. He lets them know they will be captive in a foreign land for 70 years. Even so, God promises to bring them back, let them live in safety, do them good, give them prosperity, restore their fortunes, and so much more. 

Remember that the same promises God made to those, His people, He makes to us today.  He does not change.  He cannot lie.  He is no respecter of persons. God wants you to know there is nothing too hard for Him.  There is nothing too difficult for Him.  There is nothing in your experience that God cannot handle. The answer you seek may not come when you want. It may not come in the way you think or desire.  But come it will, nothing is too hard for God.