I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me


Resurrection of Christ

Resurrection of Christ (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me

Acts 28:23-24

“So when they had appointed him a day, many came to him at his lodging, to whom he explained and solemnly testified of the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets, from morning till evening. And some were persuaded by the things which were spoken, and some disbelieved.”
NKJV

Interesting… Paul used what part of the Bible? He used the Hebrew Scriptures. Paul used the Old Testament to show that Jesus was the Messiah; Yeshua HaMashiach in Hebrew. It’s amazing to me how many churches, pastors, and Christians are willing to throw aside the Hebrew Scriptures calling them outdated or not relevant for today. We see Jesus all through the Old Testament! He’s in Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, and all the way through the Psalms and into the prophets. Friend, you cannot throw out the Hebrew Scriptures without saying that Jesus is no longer relevant. Some would try to say that there are other paths to God. It is true that all paths do lead to God, but there’s only one path that leads to heaven. Everyone will stand before God, but without Jesus, you will be eternally separated from heaven and God at that meeting.

John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” NKJV

Jesus did not say, “I am one of many ways.” Friend, God has provided THE way for forgiveness and restoration to Him and that way is through His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus died on a cross and was resurrected from the grave for our sins.

Jesus is the way to God’s forgiveness. He’s the only way.

Acts 4:12 “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” NKJV

Romans 10:9-10 “That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” NKJV

 

Life Lesson: Jesus and the Bible teach us that Jesus is the only way to heaven.

Dear Father,
Thank You for providing the means for my salvation. Thank You, Jesus, for dying on the cross for my sins so that I can be saved. Thank You for forgiving me of my sins. Please give me the courage to be a witness for You here on earth. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Never ending Love


No Greater Love

Never ending Love

 

 

 

1 Corinthians 13:8

“Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.”
NKJV

Have you ever thought about love in the light of eternity? One day all that we know here on earth will be changed. When Christ appears in all His glory, heaven will come to earth and our lives, homes, bodies and relationships will change forever. Yet, there is one thing that will never change. That thing is love. When we see Christ face to face, we will no longer need faith. As we glimpse the realities of heaven all around us, we will no longer cling to hope of a better day. But love will never disappear. The love that created the world and gave life to humanity will still sustain the saints in heaven. The love that walked out of heaven and went to the cross is the same love that prepared a place for us for all eternity. And, the same love that strengthens us in this life is the same love that welcomes us into the next. This love never fails, never wavers and never grows weary. This love is the love of God.

1 John 4:19 “We love Him because He first loved us.” NKJV

Because this love will always remain, let us begin loving even now. We will spend eternity with our brothers and sisters in Christ, so why not love them now? As we love each other with the love given to us through Christ, the world will see it and desire the same. When they do, we can point them to the never-ending source of love, Jesus.

 

Life Lesson: Love releases the power of the Spirit in our lives and in our churches.

Dear God,
Thank You for the love You have shown me. Help me to love others in the same way You have loved me. Use me today to share the love of God with someone I see. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

Bound in God’s Will


Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglica...

Bound in God‘s Will

 

They laid their hands on Him and took Him.

Mark 14:46, NKJV

The soldiers and officials who had come to the Garden of Gethsemane to arrest Jesus seized Him roughly, punching and manhandling Him as they bound Him. They bound the hands of the Son of God! The hands of the Creator! Hands that had lifted in authority and calmed the storm at sea. Hands that had gathered little children on His knee.

Have you ever felt bound . . .

in a marriage where the love has run out?

in a small home with small children?

in a physical body wracked with pain?

Are you struggling with your bindings? Do you find that the more you fight against them, the more pain you inflict on yourself, so that you are miserable in your confinement? Sometimes binding is in the will of God. Jesus was in the centre of His Father’s will, yet He was bound. He did not resist the tight cords or complain about His confinement. He simply submitted, not to the soldiers, but to His Father’s will. Would you do the same?

Blessings

 

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

We inherit troubles when we disregard God and His Word


Resurrection of Christ

We inherit troubles when we disregard God and His Word

 

2 Chronicles 21:6

“And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done, for he had the daughter of Ahab as a wife; and he did evil in the sight of the LORD.”
NKJV

Our lives are full of decisions. From small ones, like what we have for dinner, to large ones like who we marry. No matter their size, they all impact our life somehow. In 2 Chronicles 21, Jehoram begins his rule of Judah by killing off his family and leading the nation into sin. This was not a decision that happened in a moment but probably was a result of a close relationship with a family known for their evil deeds. In essence, his bad decision to marry into Ahab’s family led to even worse decisions later.

All of us have big decisions to make, but none are more important than what we decide about Jesus. If you do not have a relationship with Christ, then you have to decide whether you will trust in Him for your forgiveness. If you have already been born-again, then you must decide if you are going to obey His commands. These decisions will impact our lives for a long time to come, even into eternity. So how do we make sure we are making wise decisions? We can read God’s Word. When we read the Bible and apply what it says, we’ll find ourselves making godly decisions that will impact our life and the lives of those all around us.

Life Lesson: We miss out on blessings and on the flip side, we inherit troubles when we disregard God and His Word.

Dear Father,
Thank You for Your Word and the guidance it provides. Help me to make wise choices no matter the size. Keep me focused on You so that I can impact this world for Your Kingdom. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

We Are Helpless Without God


Česky: Kříže - symbol utrpení Ježíše Krista a ...

Helpless Without God

“I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.”

John 5:30, NKJV

Have you wondered, in agony, why God is doing what He’s doing? Why He has delayed answering your prayer? Have you reacted to the delay by trying to help Him out and speed things up? Have you turned to . . . a doctor, a lawyer, a counsellor, a friend, pop psychology, a neighbour’s sympathetic ear, or a popular TV talk show? Have you resorted to threats

or bargaining or manipulation until you’re totally exhausted? Have you come to the absolute end of your rope?

One reason God may be delaying His answer to your prayer and postponing His intervention in your situation is to bring you to the end of your own resources. Sometimes God waits in order to allow us time to exhaust every other avenue of help until we finally realize without any doubt or reservation that we are totally helpless without Him.

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

The Pain of Betrayal


Jesus is considered by scholars such as Weber ...

Resurrection of Christ

Resurrection of Christ (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Pain of Betrayal

Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”

Luke 22:48, NKJV

Judas was one of Jesus’ very closest friends. He had been handpicked to be a disciple. He had been given the special responsibility of being treasurer for the entire band of disciples – a responsibility he had enjoyed as it gave him access to personal petty cash as well as prestige in the eyes of others. Yet it was this disciple who betrayed his Lord and Friend with a kiss! And although Jesus clearly knew the betrayal was coming, it was still a knifelike stab to His heart.

Have you ever been betrayed . . .

By a spouse who has taken a secret lover?

By a sibling who has stolen your inheritance?

By a co-worker who has taken the credit for a job you did?

If you have experienced betrayal, then you understand something of the stabbing pain Judas inflicted at the very outset of Jesus’ uphill struggle to the Cross and would resolve never to betray another.

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

At peace with God


Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglica...

Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglican Church http://www.stjohnsashfield.org.au, Ashfield, New South Wales. Illustrates Jesus' description of himself "I am the Good Shepherd" (from the Gospel of John, chapter 10, verse 11). This version of the image shows the detail of his face. The memorial window is also captioned: "To the Glory of God and in Loving Memory of William Wright. Died 6th November, 1932. Aged 70 Yrs." (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The capture of Christ (detail)

The capture of Christ (detail) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

At peace with God

 

Acts 12:6

“And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison.”
NKJV

How often do you allow the troubles of life to steal your peace? Do you replay events over and over in your mind wishing you had done something differently, and sometimes even allow bad events to set the tone for the rest of your day? I am reminded of a story about a man who while on his way to work had a flat tire. When he finally got to work, his secretary asked him how he was doing. Through clenched teeth he said, “Terrible! I had a flat tire.” He walked into his office, slammed the door, threw the chair back from his desk, and picked up a phone to speak harshly to an employee. At lunch, the waiter at the restaurant asked him how he was doing and he responded, “Terrible! I had a flat tire this morning!” Later that evening when he got home his wife asked him how his day went and he said, “It was terrible! I had a flat tire this morning!” That one event shaped his entire day and not only that, his bad attitude affected everyone he came across.

In Acts chapter 12, we see James had been killed by Herod and Peter was imprisoned. Although Peter was probably about to be executed, he was sleeping! Now as far as ‘bad days’ go, I’d rank his pretty high on the list, yet Peter is comfortable and peaceful enough to sleep. Peter was at peace in the Lord as we should be. No matter what the circumstance.

Jesus said, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 NKJV

No matter what trial or tribulation you are facing, know that there will be a day when you will be free from it. It may not be until you are with the Lord in Heaven, but you will be free from it. Be at peace, Christian! You have an awesome promise to look forward to…

Rev 21:3-4 “And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” NKJV

Life Lesson: Through Jesus, you may have peace.

Dear Father,
Thank You for sending Your only Son, Jesus to die on the cross for my sins. Thank You for the promise that one day, You will wipe the tears from my eyes and there will be no more death, sorrow or crying. Thank You that I can have peace through Jesus, no matter what trial or difficulties I am experiencing. Please forgive me for the times when I have surrendered my peace to a situation or problem and help me to live for You every day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 

 

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

For how long will we continue to betray our God


Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglica...

Image via Wikipedia

BETRAYAL!

BETRAYAL! (Photo credit: Craig Walkowicz)

Betrayal

“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?”

Luke 6:46, NKJV

Within moments of betraying Jesus, Judas hated himself for what he had done. Jesus’ third religious trial was interrupted briefly by a commotion at the doorway as Judas burst onto the scene. With a face that was surely contorted by the wretchedness of conviction, he flung thirty pieces of silver across the temple floor. As the room suddenly grew silent, the clattering coins must have reverberated in the stillness as they skidded and skipped across the marble surface. Thirty pieces of silver! The price that had been paid him by the chief priests for his betrayal! Thirty pieces of silver! The price of a wounded slave! (see Ex. 21:32) Judas sold his Lord for the price of something that, in his culture, was good for nothing!

You and I betray Jesus when we call ourselves Christians yet give our hearts to money, or material things, or selfish pursuits, or anyone or anything other than Him. We betray Him when we spend more time on the Internet than in prayer. We betray Him when we spend more time reading the morning newspaper than reading the Bible. Would you confess and repent of your sin of betrayal, ask God to cleanse you, and commit to living a life of love and loyalty to Jesus?

God is faithful


Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglica...

Image via Wikipedia

God Is Faithful!

His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:22-23, NKJV

Three hundred and seventy-one days after the Flood began, “God said to Noah, ‘Come out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and their wives'” (Gen. 8:15, NIV). We can almost hear the “Hallelujah Chorus” playing in the background! What a day of rejoicing that must have been! God had been faithful to see him through!

God has not changed. If He was faithful to watch over Noah and all those within the ark, bringing them safely through the storm, He will do the same for you. Just as He was faithful to preserve Joseph through thirteen years of slavery in Potiphar‘s house and Pharaoh‘s prison, just as He was faithful to preserve the little baby Moses floating on the Nile . . . God will be faithful to you. Why? Because God is faithful! He cannot be less than Himself! Keep your focus on God’s faithfulness and on God’s greatness!

Blessings

May Our God The Almighty prosper Nigeria and Israel and defend us from all our enemies in Jesus Christ Name, Amen!