There’s an old saying: “It’s not whether you win or lose, it’s how you play the game.” That may be true in one sense, but when we do things properly—God is faithful to reward us. There are consequences [positive or negative] for what is done. That is never truer than in the case of Jesus Christ, God’s only-begotten Son, and his archenemy, Lucifer.
We’ve recently published some books to help people better understand the Bible. They are the structures of the scriptures: the big picture, a middle view, and a detailed look at each verse. This series on Biblical structure helps readers build a scope of God’s Word.
This morning it was 25 below zero with the wind in our little part of Northwest Idaho. Overnight, our hot water pipe froze. When the repairman came, he was doubtful if he could help.
I was recently delivered from the hand of my enemy, the Devil, and I would like to tell you about it.
Communicating is what life is about. Yet how I talk to our two-year-old granddaughter, one of my middle-school students, or my wife is very different. God communicates with us even more personally through His Word. He had people filled with his spirit write it down [II Peter 1:21]. It came in human form as God’s Son, who made known his Father [John 1:14,18].
Jesus is the Son of God, not God the Son. That is what he said of himself in the Gospel of John [5:25; 9:39; 10:36; 11:4; 19:7].
He called himself the Son of Man [Adam] in all four gospels and fulfilled God’s promise to Adam [Genesis 3:15].
Others called him the Son of David, because he was literally a descendant of David and fulfilled God’s promise to David as the Messiah [II Samuel 7:13; I Chronicles 22:10].
This study allows you to go to the New Testament scriptures and see who Jesus really is: based on what he said of himself. It also shows what other people believed about him. I encourage you to look at each scripture, then go to your Bible and see the context of each verse below. It will open your eyes to the greatness of the Father’s love in sending His only Son to show us how to live.
This has been a very interesting Thanksgiving. Yesterday, as I often do on November 22, I thought back to the day JFK was killed, now sixty years ago. It had a huge impact on our family, and the nuns at our school were deeply hurt at the first Catholic president dying in his relative youth. Life is very precious.
Moving out of the house where so many had gathered to hear him (see FLJC #37), Jesus led them out to the seaside. Remember that this crowd most likely still includes his relatives, as well as the Pharisees and their scribes. And multitudes still coming!
Last night Sherry and I gave away a jigsaw puzzle we had enjoyed to our kids. A few hours later, a friend said she had a jigsaw puzzle she wanted to give us. That’s an example of a great principle in life. We are designed to give and to receive. To hold on and to let go.
We saw in Part 1 that the gospel of Matthew shows Jesus as a shepherd king who brought God’s kingdom to earth. In Part 2 we saw that the gospel of Mark presents Jesus as a servant, humbled below all. In Part 3 we saw that the gospel of Luke shows Jesus as the Son of Adam, tempted in all points as we are, yet without sin, who reached out to others with great compassion.
In Part 4, we will look at the gospel of John: where Jesus is the Son of God. We will also see our rights and privileges as sons of God through what Christ has done for us [we are redeemed, justified, righteous, and sanctified]. And we will see our future joy at Christ’s return.