Who is Really Jesus? The facts about Him. (Part 7)

“that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:10-11.

We were learning in the recent daily insights how great and big is the name, person, and work of Jesus Christ. At the end of yesterday’s insight, we discussed what the Bible says -all authority is given to Jesus by God the Father. Matthew 11:27(a). Jesus said, and it is recorded in John 4:24, “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

Listen! God, the Father, is a spirit and does not have a human form. Therefore, how can we humans know and related to God, who is spirit? The solution is the God-man or Man-God -Jesus Christ. You see, Jesus is God wrapped in the skin so that we humans can know God. We can listen to what God says and feel and touch God in the person of Jesus.
Beloved, Jesus is the perfect blending of deity and humanity. He was all God and, at the same time, all man. If you read the four Gospels -Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, you would immediately understand this fact about Jesus. Jesus felt tired. He experienced hunger. He experienced all the feelings of humans, but never even one time sinned. He was a perfect God and a perfect man. All humans-men and women- were attracted to him. However, he remained as God as well.

When demons faced him, they were terrified and pleaded for mercy. They recognized and understood Jesus as the Lord and the judge who will judge them one day. They wondered why he appeared early because they knew they would be judged one day by him only. In the boat, with the disciples, He slept due to tiredness. That was his humanity. However, when the dangerous storm hit the boat, and the disciples were afraid, he stood up and commanded the fierce wind and waves to stop. You know what-the nature obeyed, and there was silence at once.

He turned the water into wine. He blessed and turned five loaves and two fishes to feed more than 5000 people. Even after they all ate, they gathered 12 baskets of bread and fish. That was his deity. He healed all kinds of sick people. He released demons possessed and send their demons to pigs. At the tomb of Lazarus, he wept with Martha and Mary. He felt their pain and sorrow. However, the next moment he commanded the four days dead Lazarus to come out of the grave. Sure Lazarus came out with grave clothes. It was his diety. I can go on and on with examples of the perfect blending of deity and humanity in Jesus. He was unique, one of a kind we have ever seen on this planet earth. No religious celebrities can stand next to him. Jesus is God-Man and Man-God fully and entirely with perfect blending. The theologians call this phenomenon “hypostatic union.”

As we saw yesterday, Jesus did not begin at the time of His birth in Bethlehem. Remember, John said in chapter 1, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him, all things were made, and without Him, nothing was made that has been made.”

Jesus is the eternal Word. He was with God, was God. He was with God in the beginning. And it was by him, and through Him, all things were made. Nothing was made or created without Him.

The eternal Word, the eternal Son of God, the second person in the triune Godhead invaded this planet earth according to the pre-determined plan and counsel of the Godhead to save Adam’s posterity from the power and consequences of sin that enslaved them. God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the ransom for you to rescue you from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of His beloved Son, Jesus Christ, by his death, burial, and resurrection for you. By His shed blood and paying for your sins by his sinless and divine blood, he offers forgiveness of sins if you call upon the name of Jesus Christ. When you call the name of Jesus in repentance, He transfers you from the power of darkness and sin to the His kingdom of love.

You see, God, the Father, gave all authority to Jesus. All authority means in Greek simply all authority. You see, you can say I don’t believe it or accept it. Do you know what our today’s insight says? It says, ” at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledges that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” You can reject the truth presented to you for only a brief time. Your lifetime is brief-30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, or 90 years. That is a brief period. Of course, people can ignore the truth about Him and His authority now in this brief time. However, one day shortly, when you close your eyes here or at the second coming of Christ, every knee shall bow at the name of Jesus. All on earth, under the earth, in heaven- all will bow down. Do you know God gave all authority over all things and the power to judge to Jesus Christ? Jesus said, and it is recorded in John 5:22-23, “the Father judges no one but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.”

All knees must bow before Jesus. He is the image of the invisible God. He is the radiance of God’s glory. He is the exact representation of God the Father. He is the beginning of all things. He created all by him, though him, and for him. He sustains and upholds all in the universe by his power. He is the great I AM. All belong to Him. All are made for him. People say I would live as I want. But the truth is this you are made for him. You are created for Him. This is why we must obey and worship Him. All authority and prerogative to judge are given to Jesus.

Listen! either as believers in Christ, we shall all stand in front of the judgment seat of Christ to give an account of what we have done for him in this life (2 Corinthians 5:10) or as unforgiven sinners (unbelievers who never bothered to accept Christ) they will all stand in front of Him at the white throne to go into eternal death away from God’s loving presence an that is called the hell. (Revelation 20:11-15).

“Father in heaven, I understood the facts about Jesus that are presented to me. I believe Jesus came to this earth to save me from my sins and transfer me from the kingdom of darkness to His kingdom of love. Please rescue me. I wonder at the greatness of Jesus. I accept Him as my Savior and Lord. Please forgive my sins. I truly repent of it all. Please save me now and grant me eternal life with you in heaven. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.”

Who is Really Jesus? The facts about Him. (Part 6)

“All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.” Matthew 11:27.
“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” Matthew 28:18.

Colossians 1:15-22 are the most Christological verses in the Bible. We have seen in prior insights that Jesus is the image of the invisible God, the radiance of His glory, the exact representation of God’s nature. We had also seen Jesus is before all things, all things were created in him, through him, and for him. Jesus is not only the cause of all creation because right there when all was created was the eternal Word of God. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit- the triune God’s presence at the beginning of creation is recorded in the 1st chapter of the Bible (Genesis). The Word became flesh and dwelt among us when He (second person of the trinity –Jesus Christ) invaded the planet earth by the virgin birth in Mary. We have also seen Jesus as the great I AM of Exodus 33 by his own attestation that is recorded in John 8:58. He said, “Truly, Truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.” Remember, he said, “those who have seen me have seen the Father.” John 14:9. And He also said, “I and the Father are one.” John 10:30.

Listen, the person of Jesus was not born at the time of incarnation. That was not the beginning of Him. He is before all things. He is the creator of all. And He is the one who holds all things together. (Colossians 1:16-17).  In Him, by the Word of His power, all things hold together in this universe. The universe exists in its orderly fashion by the power of His Word. It is the power of the Word that created all things as Genesis 1 illustrates. It is the same power of His Word that holds all things together in this gigantic universe.

You see, the facts about Jesus blow our minds. It amazes us. It creates a thirst inside us to know more about Him. Unfortunately, not many people know the amazing facts about him. Remember, the false teachers of the 1st century marginalized and minimized the greatness of Jesus Christ. The false teachers do the same today. You must know the truth about Jesus to combat the false teachers who underestimate Jesus Christ.

In addition to what we have seen before, today’s insight is Jesus’s own words. He said- listen carefully- “all things have been given to Me by My Father”. It means this all things belong to Him. Whatever you see on this earth and universe-birds in the sky, thousands of cattle, animals, people, land, buildings –all and all belong to Him. All things are His by virtue of creation. You may say the structure you built is yours. However, all the particles, atoms, and construction items belong to him. He created all the basic elements, including the atoms. All belong to Jesus. Your house, your car, your children are temporarily given to you. He expects you to be a faithful steward of what he has entrusted to you.  The Lord gives and takes away like Job acknowledge in Job 1:20-21.

Everything belongs to Him. Everything was given/delivered to Him by God, the Father. Another amazing revelation is this – No one knows the Son except the Father. The same way no one knows Father God except to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. What does it mean? All things are given to Jesus Christ, the Son of God. No one knows Jesus better than the Father God. Besides, no one would know the Father God unless Jesus wills to reveal Him. Whoever Jesus reveals the Father; they only know God the Father. This is why Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6. You can know God only through Jesus Christ. You can approach God the Father only through Jesus. Jesus reveals God the Father to you. He reveals God the Father to whomever He wants to.

Do you want to know one more thing about Jesus? He said, and it is recorded in Matthew 28:18-20, “All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me.” Listen, not only all things are created in him, through him and for him, all things are delivered/given to him, but also all authority in heaven and earth has been given to him.”

Mind-blowing truths about Jesus. Jesus created all. All belong to him. All authority is given to him. This is pretty comprehensive. Stop and think about these claims. No person ever lived, not religious pioneers never can and would make such undisputable claims. Jesus is unique. He stands alone in His claims. There is not a comparison to Him all through history. And would never be.

We will think more about his authority on all things tomorrow if God willing.
Got a moment for today’s prayer? “Father in heaven, I bow down before you. I understand how big Jesus is now. I never understood Jesus in this way. He is the creator of all. He holds all things together in this universe. All things mean literally; all things belong to Him. And I understand all authority in heaven and earth is given to him. He is the Great I AM of the scriptures. He is before all things. He is my savior. In Your eternal plan, You sent the Son of God, Jesus Christ, into this world. He died, buried, and rose again for my sins to reconcile me to God the Father. I believe that Jesus is my savior. Please forgive my sins and save me. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.”

Who is Really Jesus? The facts about Him. (Part 5)

“He is before all things, and in Him, all things hold together.” Colossians 1:17.

“Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.” John 8:58.

We understood from the prior daily insights that Jesus is the image of the invisible God, the radiance of God’s glory, and the exact representation of His nature. 

Today’s insights remind us that Jesus is before all things, and in Him, all things hold together. The verse just prior (vs.16) says this about Jesus. It says all things were created in him, through him, and for him. This is an interesting and amazing revelation. Whatever things that are created- things in heaven, on earth, visible and invisible to us, all the thrones or powers or rulers or authorities -all things have been created in him, through him and for him. 

What does this mean? It means All things-things in heaven, on earth, visible and invisible, all powers and authorities, authorities-were made by and through the power of Jesus Christ. Jesus is before the creation of all. Jesus himself said to the Jews who are proud of Abraham that “before Abraham was born, I AM.” He is the great I AM of the Bible (Exodus 3:14). The equality of Jesus with YHWH is revealed when He said, “before Abraham was born, I AM.” He created time, and consequently, He is “I AM” always. He created time and is outside time and its restriction. He is eternal. I know it is beyond simple human imagination-He wraps past and future into the present reality. The I AM. Abraham was, Moses was, Adam was. But He is I AM. 

Beloved, Let me give you a little more explanation about the Great I AM of the Bible. Gospel of John 1:1-3 says this about the Word who created all. ‘Word’ is Jesus. Now listen slowly and carefully. 

“In the beginning, was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him, all things were made; without him, nothing was made that has been made.”

You see, the Word was with God. Remember, Genesis 1 records the power of the Word of God created all. At the apex of creation, God said, “Let us create man in our own image.” The plurality and the triune nature of God are revealed to us right at the beginning of the Bible in the first chapter of the Bible’s first book.  

Now read John 1:14 to figure out who the Word is. It says, “The Word became a human and lived among us. We saw his glory—the glory that belongs to the only Son of the Father—and he was full of grace and truth,” referring to the incarnation of Jesus Christ. 

Remember, every time a new birth happens, a new person and personality appear on this earth, not so with Jesus. He is before all things. He is the cause, reason, and goal of all creation. A person who is always in existence invaded our earth in the person of Christ. Micah the prophet says this about the birthplace (Bethlehem) of Jesus hundreds of years before- He said “His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity”. Micah 5:2

As Jesus Himself revealed the I AM of the Scripture incarnated and lived among us. His glory was the glory of the only Son of the Father God-full of grace and truth. Moreover, He is the one who holds all things that are created together wonderfully and systematically in an organized manner. He is the creator, sustainer, goal, and end of all creation. 

Listen: I do not want to mention any names. No other religious gurus who are highly honored and followed by millions of people in religious groups-whether Eastern, Middle Eastern, or anywhere originated, can or would say, they were with God in the beginning. Nor would they say they are God. Moreover, none of them would be bold enough to say they existed before all things, and they created all things. They would not dare to say all things in this universe are held together by them. Only Jesus has that claim undisputed. 

The second person in the triune God invaded into this earth to save you from the kingdom of darkness and transfer you into The kingdom of His love. He came with a purpose as a fulfillment of God’s hundreds of promises in the Scripture to help you come closer to Him- to touch, listen, and feel diety in your personal life. In John 1: 12, John says God gave the right to become His children to all who would accept and believe in Jesus Christ. 

Would you come to Jesus? I will help you to become a Child of God with a small prayer with me now. 

“Father in heaven, I understand the greatness of the only savior Jesus Christ for humanity. I believe your Word that says He is before all things, He created all things, and He sustains and holds together all. I can know the invisible God the Father in the person and work of Jesus. I believe Jesus came, died, buried, and rose again to save me from my sins and make me your child. I want to become your Child, and I accept Jesus as my savior now. Please forgive all of my sins and grant me salvation and eternal life. In Christ’s name, I pray. Amen.”

Who is Really Jesus? The facts about Him. (Part 4)

“And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature and upholds all things by the word of His power” Hebrews 1:3(a).

We have seen in the prior session that Jesus is the image of the invisible God. Our today’s insight says, “Jesus is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His nature.” 

Remember, Moses asked God, “Now show me your glory”? What did God say? He said, “you cannot see my face, for no one see me and live.” Exodus 33:(18-20). However, God, the Father, allows us to gaze at His glory in Jesus Christ. Jesus is the radiance of God’s glory. Radiance means something or someone that reflects another. Jesus is the perfect reflection of God. If you want to see God, take a look at Jesus. If you want to hear God speaking, read the red letters in the four Gospels in the Bible. What Jesus did and performed are shown in red color in many of the Bibles so that you can easily recognize what He said from other remarks.

Beloved, not only is Jesus the radiance or perfect reflection of God but also our insight says He is the exact representation of God’s being. Exact means’ precise’. When you look and hear from Jesus, He is precisely God. What a true representation – radiance or reflection of God and the exact or precise expression of God’s being. Colossians 2:9-10 says, ” For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ, you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority.” Did you listen? In Jesus Christ, all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form. You see, our inner desire to touch, feel, and listen to God can be fulfilled in the person and work of Jesus. 

We also need to ponder what is stated before and after our today’s Bible verse. Hebrews 1:1 says God long ago spoke to our forefathers or ancestors in many different ways in the voice of the prophets. The keynote is what is said after it. It says in these last days we live in God spoken to us in His Son (Jesus Christ). God spoke to us through the prophets in long time ago,  but now in His Son, Jesus is very crucial. Verse 1 of Chapter 2 says, “therefore, we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard in the person of Jesus. It also says there how we can escape if we neglect the gracious offer of salvation that came through Jesus Christ? It means God finally revealed all we want to know about Him and His salvation in Jesus, and if we neglect, we cannot escape God’s judgment. In other words, God the Father sent his own image, radiance, and exact/precise representation and spoken through Him. Jesus is the appointed heir of all things, and it was through Him God made the whole world. Then it says Jesus upholds all things by the word of His power. Do you know how this gigantic machine called the universe works in an organized manner and appointed manner? Who makes it happen? How it all works? It says right there ‘by the word of His power. By the word of whose power? The power of the word of Jesus. Amazing and thought-provoking statements, right?

This section-verses 1 to 4-is so insightful and powerful. There it says in verse 3(c) that Jesus is the one who made the purification of sins. It is not any other religious gurus. They can’t do it. Only Jesus, the image, radiance, and exact representation of God could offer perfect purification of our sins by His shed blood on the cross. He made the forgiveness of our sins and trespasses possible because He laid down His sinless and divine body for the sins of the people. By making the purification of our sins, Jesus made the way to reconcile us to the Holy God. After He made the purification of our sins by His death, burial and resurrection, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high (referring to God the Father).

 Do you see how magnificent, spectacular, striking, superior, and admirable is Jesus? Come to Him and fulfill your innermost thirst for God. He is the only savior God gave for humanity, and He makes you complete to stand in front of God the Father by His sacrificial death, burial resurrection for your sins and shortcomings.

“Father in heaven, I understand Jesus is the radiance of Your glory and the exact expression of Your image. He made purification for my sins and makes me complete. He grants me salvation, reconciliation with God, and eternal life. I accept Jesus as my savior and Lord. Save me today. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.”

Who is Really Jesus? The facts about Him. (Part 3)

“He is the image of the invisible God,” Colossians 1:15 (a).

Our passage right away reminds us that God is invisible. Humans do not like the idea God is invisible. They want God who can be touched and visible. They desire to touch and see God is the beginning of creating all dum idols out of woods and stones. However, the truth remains as it is. God is invisible. God said in the Bible in Exodus 33:20, “You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!” 1st John 4:12 says, “No one has seen God at any time.” And Romans 1:20 says this about the people who suppress the truth about God – “For since the creation of the world His (God’s) invisible attributes, His eternal power, and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.”

Listen, Don’t you also have a desire to see and listen to God? The invisible God made it possible for you and me. Therefore we must not make any idols or any images. Listen! Our today’s insight says, “The Son (Jesus) is the image of the invisible God.” He is the only image of God. Do you want to see God? Look at Jesus. Do you want to know God? Read the four Gospels in the New Testament section of the Bible. Read the “red letters” in the gospels. There you hear God speaking, moving, acting in the person, and work of Jesus Christ.

Remember one time Phillip asked Jesus, “Lord, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us. Jesus replied, “Philip, I have been with you all this time, and still you do not know Me? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?” (John 14:8-9). Jesus also said, “I and the Father are one.” John 10:30. When you hear and watch Jesus, the eternal Son of God, you hear and watch God the Father.

Beloved, do you want to know God? The only way you would know God is by knowing Jesus. Listen to what He said. Read about what He did. The reason is that Jesus is the image of the invisible God. The word image comes from the Greek word ‘eikon’ means ‘likeness.’ Jesus is the exact likeness of the invisible God. You can listen to what Jesus said and watch what He did in the four Gospels in the Bible- Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. This is how you would satisfy your hunger and thirst to know God.

You see, false teachers in the first century attacked and tried to marginalize the person and work of Jesus. They are called the gnostics and docetists. It does not matter what era you live in; the false teachers always minimize and attack the deity of Jesus Christ. They do it today as well in different names and forms. However, remember, Jesus is the only image of the invisible God. He is the only way you can know about God and experience Him in your life. There is no other way out there.

Listen! Jesus is superior to all. He is greater than all. He is the image of the invisible God. He is the only likeness of God.

Got a moment for today’s prayer?
“Father in heaven, I understand the superiority and greatness of Jesus Christ. He is the image of the invisible God. When I look at and hear from and read what he said and did, I am watching listening, and experiencing the invisible God. I thank you, Father you sent your only begotten Son to save me from my sins and trespasses. I believe He died, buried, and rose again for me. I accept Him as my savior and Lord. In Christ’s name, I pray. Amen.”

Who is Really Jesus? The facts about Him. (Part 2)

“In Him, we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses.” Ephesians 1:7.

We learned yesterday that God transfers people from the dominion of darkness to the kingdom of His dear Son, Jesus Christ. God offers forgiveness of sins by the blood of Christ, which is poured out on the cross. This is how God qualifies people or enables them to share in all that He has prepared for His people in the kingdom of light.

Today’s insight says, “In Him (Jesus), we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses.” Who is Jesus? To get you to know this, let me take you back to the olden days in the Jewish Law and Sacrificial system. Countless innocent animals were killed, and their blood became rivers of blood for the people’s sins in those days. You can read about it in the book of Leviticus in the Bible.

However, the Bible says in Hebrews 10:1, the Law was only a shadow of the good things to come. Even though animals were killed at the altar and poured their blood, it could never take away the sins or make people perfect. Listen! It says that all those countless killings of animals and their blood were only a shadow of the good things to come.  Hebrews 10:4 says, “for it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. A shadow is only a shadow. Not real. The shadow of your image when you walk on the street is not you. It is just a shadow.

The animal sacrificial system was a shadow only for the good things to come. They cut the throat of the innocent animals and poured out blood on the altar. It was hard, painful, and cruel. However, God did not say that is all you need. God said it was a shadow. He pointed down through history to show us the real lamb of God, Jesus Christ, who would carry the world’s sins. John pointed to Jesus and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” John 1:29.

Jesus was the fulfillment of the shadow of the animal sacrifices in the old testament Law. The Hebrew writer says this- Jesus Christ offered his body once for all as the fulfillment of all those shadows. Jesus did what the shadow could ever do for humanity. By His once for all sacrifice of His sinless and divine body, Jesus brought permanent redemption by his blood to all who would come to Him for the forgiveness of sins.

What a beautiful verse, “In Him (Jesus), we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses.” Jesus is the perfect sacrifice to perfect the imperfect people. By one single offering of His body, he sanctifies them who would come to him forever.

Beloved, you do not need to live under the burden of sin and its guilt. God offers you permanent forgiveness of all your sins. As a result,  you can enjoy the peace with God and the peace of God inside you when you understand and believe who Jesus is. You see, God qualifies you to share in all of His goodness and kingdom because of the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ. Transfer your sin, mistakes, and the consequent guilt that can destroy you to Jesus. Transfer it all to Jesus. Carry all of it to the only perfect savior of the world. You are not made to walk with your sin and guilt. Jesus carried it all by the verdict of God, the Father. Switch all of it to the savior!

Would you pray with me now? Please pray now because this is the moment of your salvation and eternal life.

“Father in heaven, I believe in Jesus, I have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of my sins. I believe He is the fulfillment of the shadows of the old testament Law and sacrifices. I accept Jesus as my savior and Lord. Please save me by forgiving my sins, grant me peace and eternal life. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.”

Who is Really Jesus? The facts about Him. Part 1

“And you will joyfully give thanks to the Father who has made you able to have a share in all that he has prepared for his people in the kingdom of light.  God has freed us from the power of darkness, and he brought us into the kingdom of his dear Son. The Son paid for our sins, and in Him we have forgiveness.” Colossians 1:12-13. NCV.

People in the world have different opinions about Jesus. We will attempt to see the facts about Jesus. Our insight asks us to give thanks to God, the Father. What is the reason for his thanksgiving here? We thank God because He qualified or enabled us to have a share in all that He has prepared for his people in the kingdom of light. 

You see, in Adam, we were all disqualified from sharing in all God prepared for his people in His kingdom. I believe Adam and Eve shined with God’s shekinah glory in the garden of Eden. However, when Adam and Eve sinned and disobeyed God, not only them but we all-all of his posterity- were impaired and disqualified to share in the goodness of His kingdom, which is full of light. Not only Adam and Eve lost paradise, but we all also lost paradise. God said to the man, “by the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.” Humanity was disqualified from sharing in the kingdom of light. Alienation from the loving presence of the Lord is the consequence of the sin all humanity must experience until God qualifies them again to share in His goodness and kingdom

This was a huge blow on us. People began to die. The shared glory of God disappeared from our first parents. As a result, all became sinners and have fallen short of the glory of God. Now, God, the Father, qualifies us again or enables us to share in his kingdom of light. Our today’s passage illustrates how God accomplishes it. God does this by freeing us from the power of darkness. Darkness has strongholds. If you look around, you won’t have much difficulty in figuring out this -Darkness dominates people and their hearts. Darkness blinds people from seeing the truth. It objects people to recognize the distinction between good and evil. God frees us from the power of darkness and then immediately transfers us to the kingdom of His dear Son, Jesus Christ. 

It explains how this transfer from the power of darkness to the kingdom of His dear Son, Jesus Christ, happens. It says that because the Son (Jesus) paid for our sins, we have forgiveness in Him. You see, sins are what kept us in the dominion of darkness. We had to be freed from our sins. How do we get free from our sins? It says by paying for our sins and giving us forgiveness. Jesus paid for our sins on the cross. It is done. 

Because He paid for our sins by his blood, we received forgiveness of all our sins. The blood of Jesus Christ enables or qualifies. Listen! It is by the blood of Jesus that God pays for all of our sins and transfers us from the authority, power, and dominion of darkness to the kingdom of His beloved Son, Jesus Christ. Therefore give thanks to God the Father who did this for us. 

Guilt has the power to kill people. Many people end up in depression, various addictions like drugs, immorality, and alcohol due to self or other people’s sin and mistakes. Consequently, they live in the domain of darkness. They need to be rescued. God rescues them. What people need is forgiveness and freedom from the power of darkness. In order to get forgiveness, sin has to be paid in full. The Son of God, Jesus Christ, paid for our sins by his blood, offering forgiveness. God transfers the people who come to His Son, Jesus, to His kingdom of light and love. 

Beloved, the number one fact about Jesus is this- God frees you from the power and dominion of darkness and transfers you to the kingdom of His beloved Son. He does this by the blood of Jesus Christ, who paid for your sins. You get forgiveness of God when you come to His Son, Jesus Christ. I will help you today if you would pray with me now. 

God loves you. He cares about you. He calls you to the Kingdom of His beloved Son from the dominion of darkness. Would you come?

“Father in heaven, I believe you qualify me to share in all the goodness of your kingdom. I believe you love and rescue people from the dominion of darkness to the Kingdom of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ. I come to Jesus, the savior who shed his blood for the forgiveness of sins. I am sorry for my sins. Please grant me your grace, forgiveness, and save me. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.” 

God Can Dash Your Plans to Build His Beautiful Plans!

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9.

How are God’s thoughts and ways higher than ours? Just because He is God and we are not. God is infinitely intelligent and wise. People’s intelligence varies, and it is, of course, finite and limited. Indeed not unlimited like God’s. God knows the end from the beginning in a perfect way. You see, we do not see the end from the beginning. However, God sees. The restriction of time does not limit God. We are restricted by time. God is all-powerful. We are not. Even the devil and demons are not all-powerful. Only God is all-powerful. Because God is all-powerful, He has the power to help us with all our needs. God is all present. God can be everywhere at the same time. We are not. Because God is all present, He can protect and guard you safely wherever you are. God is all knowledgeable. Because God is all-knowing, He understands your worries, anxieties, and fears and can help you when no one else understands. Indeed, His thoughts and ways are higher than our thoughts and ways because He is totally different from us in all these ways.

Sometimes we make plans for our lives, don’t we? Then God comes in and dashes our well-designed plans. We get upset and angry. We may even stop talking to God. However, the reason why He dashes your plan is because He has a much better one for your life. After several years, we would discover it was good that God broke our well-intended plans because He had a far better course for our lives. We find out His plans were better. I had this experience in my life a few times. Didn’t you experience this as well in your life?

Our today’s insight says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Remember always this truth that God said about Him in the Bible. These are the very words of the living God in heaven. My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways. Why? Because “as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.”

I am glad His thoughts and ways are higher than mine. How about you? Psalm 139:17 says, “How precious are your thoughts about me, O God.
They cannot be numbered!”

Beloved, do you know God’s thoughts about you are precious? Moreover, do you know God has thoughts about you that can not be numbered or counted? Vast is His thoughts and numerous are His ways for you.

Dearly beloved, God thought about you even before you are born and even before He created the heavens and the earth. He had the plan to save you and give you eternal life in heaven with Him. According to His eternal plan, He sent His Son, Jesus Christ to this earth. Jesus died for your sins, buried and rose again for all your sins, failures, and shortcomings. Bible says in John 3:16, ” “For this is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”

God still thinks about you today, and He invites you to come to His Son, Jesus Christ, and accept Him as your savior and Lord.

Got a moment for today’s prayer? Pray with me now. “Father in heaven, I know your thoughts about me are precious and can not be counted or even numbered. I believe You sent Your Son to die in my place for my sins and failures. I accept Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord. Please save me and give me eternal life. In Christ’s name, I pray. Amen.”

You should not live by bread alone!

“Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you” Colossians 3:16 (a).

We fill the gas tank of our car. Most people eat three times a day- breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Also many take snacks in between. We want healthy food so that we can go to work, and take care of house duties and other responsibilities. What happens if a car does not have enough gas? It stops on the road. what happens if you go hungry with no food? You can’t go much far. You would faint and not be able to do your daily functions.

Our body needs physical food. Certainly, our soul needs spiritual food. Physical food nourishes your body. Spiritual food nourishes and makes your inner man strong and healthy. The spiritual food you need daily is the Word of God- the Bible verses.

Some of the benefits of spiritual food are given below.

The Word of God (the Bible verses) gives life, revives, and replaces discouragement with encouragement (Psalm 119:25. GNT, TLB)
The Word of God gives great peace- nothing will make them stumble (Psalms 119:165 (HCSB)
It gives strength to your weary bones (Psalm 119:28 NIV)
It gives you hope (Psalm 119:49 NASB)
It gives you more understanding than your teachers (Psalm 119:99 ESV)
It makes you wiser than your enemies (Psalm 119:98 NIV)
It comforts, strengthens, and refreshes you in the time of trouble (Psalm 119:50 NASB, TLB)
It is a lamp to your feet (Psalm 119:105 NASB)
It gives light on our path (Psalm 119:105 NASB).
As physical food gives you physical energy, strength, and health, spiritual food, the Bible verses, gives you mental and emotional energy, strength, health, understanding, and wisdom.

Beloved, you cannot just afford to have physical food and ignore spiritual food. Many people are dead inside although they have physical life in their nostrils, simply because they do lack good, balanced, healthy spiritual food. They are not comforted, their wounds are not cleaned with oil, and bam, no internal strength, no hope, no understanding, and the absence of simple wisdom- these all are because of the lack of healthy spiritual food.

Spiritual malnutrition is more alarmingly dangerous than physical malnutrition. The tragedy is many people are not aware of it. It has the potential to kill people slowly and steadily. Simply the awareness of spiritual poverty is a major step in the direct direction. Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” If you are aware of spiritual poverty and realize the need for God, He is willing to place you in His kingdom.

You can get spiritual food by listening to the Bible messages like the one you listening to now. Make sure you are listening to only Bible teaching and preaching lessons. There are positive talks without an in-depth study of the  Bible verses. You need to listen to good Bible teachers who are gifted and trained to interpret the Bible verses in an excellent and God-honoring way so that you would flourish and grow spiritually. For this purpose, you need to be a member of a good Bible-teaching and Bible-preaching church in your area. Go and check it out. You will never regret taking this first step. You and your family – your spouse and children- need good Bible teaching so that your inner man will grow healthy and vibrant. Thereby you would have peace, hope, encouragement, and comfort. You would possess the understanding and Godly wisdom. You have the lamp for your feet to walk the right path. You have the light when you walk so that you would not fall. And more than all you will have abundant and life eternal.

Not only just listen to the messages of Christ and the Bible, but also read the Bible. As you read the Bible, underline the verses you like. Then meditate on it for a few seconds or minutes. The verses you liked write down on a card or paper. Reflect on it later. Try to memorize the verses. Reflect on those ideas you learned from the verses many times. Let it go down deep into your soul. Then start applying it to your daily life in small ways. Be consistent in applying. Without much time, you are on your way to a big spiritual growth spurt that impacts you and others around you. God gets the glory.

Our today’s insight says, “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you.” Would you decide to let the word of Christ richly dwell in you? Of course, it all starts with making time daily to listen to the Bible messages, read the Bible, memorize, reflect and then start applying it in your personal life.

Got a moment for today’s prayer? “Father in heaven, I want the Word of God richly dwells in me so that my inner man would be comforted, strengthened, protected and guided by your Word. I know the Bible says the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. The eternal and everlasting Word became a person in Jesus Christ and He came into this world and died and rose again for my sins and shortcomings. Please forgive my sins. Lord come to my life, and save me and bless me today. Make me rich in your word. In Christ’s name, I pray, Amen.”

Not delayed, Wishful But Instant and Assured access.

“Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have the confidence to enter the Most Holy Place. by the blood of Jesus,  by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body,  and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.” Hebrews 10:19-22 NIV.

Our insight reminds us we have instant and sure access to Most Holy Place, referring to the very presence of God, through the curtain that is the body of Jesus, which was broken for humanity.

In the olden days, only once a year, the high priest could enter the most holy place to atone for the nation’s sin as a whole.  That day is called the day of atonement, and the High priest enters only with the blood of the sacrificial goat in his hand. He then sprinkled some of the blood on the mercy seat seven times to cleanse people from their impurities. At most fear, the High priest entered there to do his service for the people.

Our passage says, we have today the confidence to enter the Most Holy Place (to the very presence of God) by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, the body of Jesus Christ. Remember, the thick and large curtain hung in front of the holiest place was torn down from top to bottom at the time of the death of Jesus Christ. Matthew wrote in his Gospel 27:51, “at the moment (referring to the moment of the death of Jesus) the curtain of the temple was torn from top to bottom.”

This was the curtain the high priest of Israel passed to enter into the presence of God once a year on the day of atonement.

The imagery of the curtain in front of the most holy place in the temple and the curtain referred to here as the body of Jesus is very important. If it was by the curtain of the temple in front of the most holy place, the high priest entered and atoned for the sins and transgressions of the people, now Jesus, the fulfillment of God’s promise and salvation to the people, opened a new and living way for us to enter into the very presence of God. The curtain mentioned here is the body of Jesus. It is a  new and living way. Brand new with all its excitement. It is living because this is not the way of the dead animals, but is the way of the source of all life – the abundant life-Jesus Christ.

Beloved, you don’t need to wait for one year or worry and fearfully consider going to the presence of God. You walk through the curtain of the body of Jesus into the presence of God with faith and trust in Him. Our insight also says there in the most holy place (the very presence of God) is Jesus Christ -our great high priest over the house of God. Therefore you can come and draw near to God with full confidence and with a sincere and open acknowledgment/agreement of your sins, transgressions, and shortcomings,  with full faith in what Jesus had already accomplished for you.

In short, you have instant access to God in and through Jesus Christ. Because of the curtain, the body of Jesus is broken on the cross for all of your sins. Jesus paid for your sins on the cross. By coming to Jesus and accepting Him as your savior, you have the confidence to draw near to God and enjoy His love, mercy, and forgiveness.

Beloved, if you do not have confidence or assurance as of yet about your salvation, forgiveness of sins, or eternal life at the time of your death, Bible says you do not need to wish or hope only for it. You can get the confidence and confirmation of your eternal salvation right away today.

I will help you. Would you pray with me? “Father in heaven, I believe by the shed blood of Jesus, by his body broken for my sins, he opened a new and living way to come to you and enjoy all you have for me. I believe Jesus died, buried, and rose again for me. I am sorry for my sins and transgressions. Thank you for the confidence and assurance of salvation, forgiveness, mercy, grace, and eternal life available in and through Jesus Christ. In the name of Christ, I pray. Amen.”