Who is Jesus to you?

Who do you say that I am? That is a question posed by our Lord Jesus to His disciples in Matthew 16:15.  Peter responds, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” If we, like Peter, proclaim Jesus to be our Lord, the Christ, do our actions bear witness to that truth working in our lives? A short time after Peter made this bold confession of his faith, he found himself denying he even knew Jesus (Mt.26:69-75).

That is a problem we all face. We profess our faith in the Lord Jesus, but at times, our actions and our words do not line up with our confession of faith.

In Luke 22:32 Jesus tells Peter, “I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.” Peter did experience a temporary lapse of faith in Jesus, but Jesus never gave up on Peter. As we read the book of Acts and the books of 1st and 2^nd Peter, we see Peter being used mightily by the Lord for His Kingdom and His glory.

This should give us hope for our lives. If we will return to Jesus, He will by no means cast us out (John 6:37). Come to Him now and receive His forgiveness for all your sins. If you have known the Lord, but have not been walking with Him, repent and receive His mercy and love. Peter was used mightily by the Lord, and I believe Jesus wants to use you to help others, to strengthen your brethren. I believe Jesus is still asking this question, “Who do you say that I am?” What is your reply?

The Fear of the Lord

Proverbs 9:10 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” What does it mean to have “the fear of the Lord?” The word “fear” in this verse means “to have reverence and awe for God.” Having this kind of fear is a good thing, it is the beginning of wisdom, and the book of Proverbs has much to say regarding the benefits of Godly wisdom.

In the church today, some have such a casual attitude toward God and His name. There is no fear, no reverence, no acknowledgement that God deserves our highest honor, respect, and awe. 

The fear of God starts with recognizing that God is God, and I am not. In Isaiah 14 we see that Lucifer decides, “he will exalt his throne above the stars of God.” He did not recognize God as Supreme. We may not like to admit it, but when we “do our own thing” against what God says, we are following after the devil. I wonder if a popular song in hell might be, “I Did It My Way.”

Secondly, the fear of God is doing what James 4:10 says to do, “humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.”  We all want God to “lift us up,” but how many of us are willing to do the first part, humble ourselves?

And finally, 1 Chronicles 16 tells us to exalt the Lord, and to give Him the glory due His name. When we give God the praise, when we give God His due, we are demonstrating that we hold Him in reverence and high esteem. Proverbs 3:7 says, “Fear the Lord and depart from evil, it will be health to your flesh and strength to your bones.”

It is a good thing to fear the Lord. It is health and life to all who hold Him and His word in extreme reverence and awe.

The Alabaster Jar

Have you ever given something away that was precious to you? Mark 14:3 tells of a woman coming to Jesus and breaking an alabaster jar of precious ointment and pouring it on Him. This was her gift to the Lord, and He received her worship. This jar was filled with spikenard, very fragrant oil that cost about a year’s wages. It was probably part of her dowry, but she was willing to give all as an offering to Him. Ministering to Jesus that day was more important to her than the prospect of marriage some day. It could not be used with a dab here or a dab there, it was all or nothing as the jar had to be broken to release its contents. This speaks of the full commitment required on our part to enter the Kingdom of God . Jesus said, “Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me” (Mt. 10:38).

This account is also an example of expressing great love. But this woman was not the first to show great love. You see, God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes on Him will not perish but have everlasting life (Jn.3:16). In a sense, Father God broke His alabaster jar first when He gave His most precious gift (Jesus) to the world as an offering for my sins and the whole world’s sins. A dab here or there would not do as it required an “all out” sacrifice of Jesus’ life for my redemption. Jesus’ body was broken for me so I could be made whole. When the woman’s alabaster jar was broken, everyone in the room knew it, and Jesus received this gift. Will you receive the gift Almighty God has given to you through Jesus? Receive His love and forgiveness and you will know the beautiful fragrance of God’s love manifest in Jesus Christ.

You Are What You Eat

Have you ever heard the saying, “you are what you eat”? It is true that our diet greatly affects our physical health, and the same thing is true spiritually. What have you been eating spiritually? Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” Again Jesus said, “I am the bread of life.” Jesus and His word are the spiritual food that every believer needs to survive and to grow spiritually. 1 Peter 2:2 declares, “as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word that you may grow thereby.” We need a consistent diet of the bread of life and the milk of God’s word to grow and be strong spiritually. We need to be partaking of the word of God not just on Sunday or Wednesday, but every day.

Someone might say, “With my busy schedule, I don’t have time to study the bible every day.” I try to encourage people to start with five minutes each day, something that will work in their schedule. Most people who get started in a regular routine of studying God’s word find it very rewarding. The Christian bookstores have a huge supply of good devotionals that help the reader get into the good habit of daily bible reading. There are also many good devotionals available online. If you are looking for a bible reading plan, but don’t know where to start, the Gospel of John in the New Testament is a great place to start. It is simply written, yet profound, as this book reveals Jesus Christ as the Savior of the World, and the King of the Ages.

The important thing is to get started, and start putting the good spiritual food of God’s word in your heart and mind every day. Then be sure to also apply the word or be a doer of the word that you hear, and you will grow, grow, grow.

Freedom Isn't Free

Monday is Memorial Day, and we at Victory Church wish to thank all who are currently serving, or who have served in our Armed Forces. We also thank all who have given the ultimate sacrifice of their lives in protecting this country. Our hearts go out to family members whose loved ones paid the ultimate sacrifice. The freedoms we enjoy today are available because someone purchased that freedom with their very lives.

            You have heard the saying “freedom isn’t free.” That statement is true regarding the United States of America and in the spiritual realm. Ephesians 2 tells us that when we were sinners, we were without God, and without hope. Verse 13 tells us “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off, have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” Galatians 5:1 says “It was for freedom, that Christ has set us free.”  Another version says we are to “Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free.”

            Jesus purchased for us liberty and freedom from sin and its effects. He paid the ultimate price for my freedom, but His sacrifice is of no benefit to me unless I receive the life He offers. John 1:12 says “to as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God.” We must receive Jesus, not as just a good man who lived two thousand years ago, but as He truly is, the Messiah, the Son of God. Romans 10:9 says “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

            If you have never invited Jesus into your heart to forgive you of all of your sins, why not do it today? And if you have received this freedom of forgiveness that Jesus offers, why not take a minute right now and give thanks to Him for His sacrifice. Make Memorial Day a day of giving thanks for all who have sacrificed for our liberty.

Serving others

The text for today’s message is found in Galatians 5:13b, “through love, serve one another.” It is a calling of every believer in Jesus Christ to serve others. In Matthew 20:28 Jesus says, “the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Jesus is our example. Even though He was and is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, He chose to serve and to give His life for me. Serving others is not what the natural man wants to do. The natural man or fleshly man wants others to serve him. So, how do we serve others? Romans 5:5 says, “the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit.”  For the person who has surrendered their heart to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, God’s love has been poured out into our hearts. His love is there, it simply needs to be shown to others.
And there is joy in serving. There is joy in giving of ourselves to benefit someone else. Hebrews 12:2 tells us to “consider Jesus, who for the joy set before Him, endured the cross.” The cross was one of the most brutal forms of punishment and execution ever devised by man, but the Bible says for Jesus, in the midst of the pain, there was joy. How can this be? Because of love. Going to the cross was a joy for Jesus because He knew the end result of that act of obedience would be the offer of total forgiveness for anyone who would call on His name to be saved. Have you ever called on Jesus to forgive you of all of your sins? His grace and love is available to you today, if you will ask Him. And once you do call on Jesus, commit to doing His will. Through love, serve one another.