WHO DO YOU SAY JESUS IS?

By Joseph Prince – Posted July 18, 2017

Mark 8:29

He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”  Peter answered and said to Him, “You are the Christ.”

Do you know that how you see Jesus determines what you receive from Him? If you see Jesus as your healer, you will receive healing. If you see Jesus as your refuge and fortress, you will receive protection.

The people of Nazareth, Jesus’ hometown, saw Jesus in the natural. They said of Him, “Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? And His sisters, are they not all with us?” (Matthew 13:55–56) They saw Jesus in the natural. They did not see Him as God in the flesh. As a result, He could not do many mighty works there. (Matthew 13:58)

Today, many people, including some philosophers, see Jesus of Nazareth as a good person who led an exemplary life. They feel that if all of us could live our lives like Him, the world would be a better place.

They don’t see Jesus as the bread of God who came from heaven to give life to the world. (John 6:33) They don’t see Him as the one who came to give them living water, so that they would never thirst again. (John 4:14) They don’t see Him as the Lamb of God, who took away the sin of the world. (John 1:29) They don’t receive from Him what they need because they don’t esteem Him rightly.

Jesus did not come just to set a good example for man to follow. He came to be our Redeemer. (Galatians 3:13) He came to be our righteousness. (1 Corinthians 1:30) He came to be our shepherd, so that we will not lack anything. (Psalm 23:1)

Jesus asked His disciples once, “But who do you say that I am?” How you answer this question depends on how you see Jesus. And how you see Jesus will determine how and what you receive from Him. So see Him as your God, as everything He claims to be in His Word, and He will do mighty works in your life!

Thought For The Day

How you see Jesus determines how and what you receive from Him.

Why the Storms?

By Joyce Meyer - Posted July 18, 2017

Why are you cast down, O my inner self? And why should you moan over me and be disquieted within me? Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall yet praise Him, my Help and my God.
—Psalm 42:5

O God, why do You cast us off forever? Why does Your anger burn and smoke against the sheep of Your pasture?
- Psalm 74:1

As I think about the storms we all face in life, I can understand why people sometimes ask, “Why the storms? Why do we have so many problems and struggles in life? Why do God’s people have to deal with so much suffering?”

As I considered these questions, I began to see that Satan plants these questions in our minds. It is his attempt to keep us focused on our problems instead of focusing on the goodness of God. If we persist in asking these questions, we’re implying that God may be to blame. I don’t think it’s wrong to ask God why things happen. The writers of the psalms certainly didn’t hesitate to ask.

I think of the story of Jesus when He visited the home of Mary and Martha after their brother, Lazarus, died. Jesus waited until Lazarus had been dead for four days before He visited. When He arrived, Martha said to Jesus, Master, if You had been here, my brother would not have died (John 11:21). She went on to say, And even now I know that whatever You ask from God, He will grant it to You (v. 22).

Did she really believe those words? I wonder, because Jesus said to her, Your brother shall rise again. Martha replied, I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day (vs. 23-24). She didn’t get what Jesus was saying.

I don’t want to be unkind to Martha, but she missed it. When Jesus came, she didn’t ask, “Why didn’t You do something?” Instead she said, “If You had been here—if You had been on the job—he’d be alive.”

When Jesus assured her that Lazarus would rise again, she didn’t understand that it was going to happen right then. She could focus only on the resurrection. By looking at an event that was still in the future, she missed the real meaning of Jesus’ words for the present.

But aren’t many of us like Martha? We want our lives to run smoothly, and when they don’t, we ask why? But we really mean, “God, if You truly loved and cared for me, this wouldn’t have happened.”

Let’s think a little more about the “why” question. For example, when someone dies in an accident, one of the first questions family members ask is why? “Why her? Why now? Why this accident?”

For one moment, let’s say God explained the reason. Would that change anything? Probably not. The loved one is still gone, and the pain is just as severe as it was before. What, then, did you learn from the explanation?

In recent years, I’ve begun to think that why isn’t what Christians are really asking God. Is it possible that we’re asking, “God, do You love me? Will You take care of me in my sorrow and pain? You won’t leave me alone in my pain, will You?” Is it possible that, because we’re afraid that God doesn’t truly care about us, we ask for explanations?

Instead, we must learn to say, “Lord God, I believe. I don’t understand, and I could probably never grasp all the reasons why bad things happen, but I can know for certain that You love me and You are with me—always.”

Heavenly Father, instead of asking for answers to the why questions, help me to focus on Your great love for me. When Satan tries to fill my mind with troublesome questions, help me to feel the protection of Your loving, caring arms around me. Help me always to show my gratitude and devotion for all that You do for me. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Hiding in the Right Place

By Joel Osteen – Posted July 18, 2017

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE:

"In the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock."
(Psalm 27:5, NIV)

TODAY'S WORD:

Have you ever watched children play hide and seek? They look for the best place to hide in the house or yard and wait quietly for their friend to try to find them. It’s a fun game for kids, but even as adults, we need a good place to hide from time to time. Sometimes we need a place of refuge, we need a place of safety, and we need a place to rest when we feel overwhelmed by the circumstances of life—a place where the enemy of our soul can never find us. 

The good news is that God has the perfect hiding place for you! You don’t have to hide in your job. You don’t have to hide in relationships. You don’t have to hide in food or addictions because God Himself promises to hide you! He freely offers you shelter from the storms of life any time you call upon His name. 

Remember, there’s only one place the enemy cannot find you. There’s only one place where opposition cannot steal from you. There’s only one true place of safety and rest for your soul, and that is in the arms of Jesus. Know that He loves you, and He is ready to receive you when you call upon His name!

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Father, today I come humbly before You giving You all that I am. Thank You for hiding me in Your shelter and keeping me safe from the storms of life. My soul finds rest in You as I seek You and praise Your holy name in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Praise the Lord Anyway

By DR. David Jeremiah – Posted July 18, 2017

I will bless the LORD at all times.
Psalm 34:1

Recommended Reading: Psalm 34:1-7

We all have a lot of anxieties and aggravations in life, but God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1). We have endless trials and troubles, but our Savior has overcome the world (John 16:33). Every day brings uncertainty, but God will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). Tomorrow’s events are unknown to us, but our eternal God knows the future as well as He knows the past (Psalm 139:1-4). For every blow, we have a fistful of promises from our Sovereign God—and not one jot or tittle of His Word will pass away (Matthew 5:18).

That’s why James 1:2 tells us, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials.”

In all the moments of life, we should be quick to praise the Lord and to bless Him at all times. When we have a good day, thank God for it. When the day turns dark and troubling, praise the Lord anyway, for His lovingkindness is fresh every morning and His faithfulness every night. Let’s bless Him every moment today.

When plans go awry, tragedy strikes your family, the work for which you labored disintegrates and falls apart, praise the Lord anyway. For when you praise the Lord, your attention is diverted from the situation and circumstances back to the Lord.
Jerry Rankin