SEPTEMBER 30 THE JESUS QUESTIONS JQ#29-16 >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#29 “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?” (Matthew 22:42)

LIVING FOR JESUS --- Daily Devotional

SEPTEMBER 30  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#29-16  >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#29  “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?”  (Matthew 22:42)

274 of 365 - Prayers to JESUS    

(Note: The following prayer was written in 2004 on the first day of my “unemployment” from my 24 year career that had started in 1980. All through 2004 I had been praying for God to “fix” my career which had “gone south” with the “new management” — I prayed on 10/29/2004 at 6:15A for God to “give me a sign” about my career and at 4:00P that same day I was let go by the “new management” — so the following prayer is the first prayer I prayed on 10/30/2004 to start my dependence on God for my daily bread ——— I have been praying for my “daily bread” from God every morning since then and I daily proclaim loud and proud: “GOD IS GOOD!!!”)

“Jesus, we can only imagine what it will be like, Your Love, Your calling our name as You welcome those who have believed in You to Your Kingdom in Heaven where we will be eternally amazed that God has provided for us beyond that which we cannot even imagine! Lord, we will also know what great pain and Suffering that You endured to pay the Supreme Price to Redeem us from the death our iniquities deserved! To know of Your Great Sacrifice and to know the Great Joy of Your Grace will be enough to continually keep Your Praises on our lips for all eternity! O Lord, daily I struggle with self and sin, but my prayers are that the Holy Spirit turns me back to Your Light and remember that each sin is covered by Your Mercy and Grace!”    AMEN <<<Written 10/30/2004>>>

(After praying that prayer on 10/30/2004, I can still “witness” to God’s Faithfulness, His Grace and His Mercy, and His Bountiful Provisions for after losing my job in 2004 and depending fully on God for my “daily bread”, I have lived a better life in the years since I began depending on God than my entire 24 year career  depending on the world even with all its raises and bonuses —  God truly has blessed our family with “life more abundant”!!! Trust God, for God can be trusted!)   AMEN

THE JESUS QUESTIONS

SEPTEMBER 30  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#29-16  >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#29  “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?”  (Matthew 22:42)      Jesus has already pronounced 4 of His “Seven Woes” directed at the scribes and Pharisees because of their “hypocrisy” but His Lessons are just as relevant and applicable today as they were when Jesus first SPOKE THE WORD. Jesus continues with “Woe #5”: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.” (Matthew 23:25-26) It is interesting to note that Jesus keeps referring to “blindness” as the “fruit” of “hypocrisy” for Jesus has used the terms “Fools and blind” twice and also “Blind guides” twice and now Jesus is specific and uses the term “Blind Pharisees” — if Jesus does something once we should take note but if He says something 3 times we will be “Blind fools” ourselves if we don’t pay attention — so the Holy Spirit is Teaching that “hypocrisy” will “blind” us to the Truth of God but that we should be able to diagnose our problems as “blindness” if we find ourselves seeking “self-indulgences” — (and especially if we are in any way “extorting” anyone or any thing!) Of course blindness turns one to looking at one’s self because we cannot “see” anything “spiritual” unless we try to look at the world through something other than our “physical” eyes — we can often see more clearly if we look at our circumstances with our heart and see the needs of others through the lens of compassion in our hearts instead of dwelling on our self-pity that we see reflected through the eyes of the world.  “Woe #5” teaches us to be aware that “hypocrisy” breeds “self-indulgences” and that, my friends, is why if you continue to “indulge” yourself in and on the world’s temptations that there is only “spiritual blindness” and “spiritual darkness” in your future! Unless you have the Right Spiritual Attitude you will not have True Spiritual Sight and you cannot correctly answer the question: “What do you think of the Christ? Whose Son is He?” (Matthew 22:42) The problem with spiritual blindness is that it is a “Choice” we make to remain in spiritual darkness and the “Consequence” of choosing spiritual darkness over the “Light of Truth” is “self-condemnation” — Jesus Taught about spiritual blindness in His “Born Again” Lesson to Nicodemus in John Chapter 3, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3) and again, “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” (John 3:19) As always when Jesus Teaches a Lesson He Teaches us the Truth of God and how to use our Spiritual Sight, “But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.” (John 3:21) It is “logical” to assume that if at our “physical birth” that we receive our “physical eyes” to see the “world”, that at our “Spiritual Birth” when we are “Born Again” that we will receive our “Spiritual Eyes” to see the “Spiritual World of God’s Kingdom” and as Jesus told Nicodemus — it is the most important “Choice” you will make because the “Consequence” of choosing “Light” is “Eternal Life with God Himself”!!!!!!

SEPTEMBER 29 THE JESUS QUESTIONS JQ#29-15 >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#29 “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?” (Matthew 22:42)

LIVING FOR JESUS --- Daily Devotional

SEPTEMBER 29  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#29-15  >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#29  “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?”  (Matthew 22:42)

273 of 365 - Prayers to JESUS    

Jesus, Thank You Lord for the Gift of the Holy Spirit and for Your Promise to “comfort” us with both Your Rod and Your Staff. Lord I admit that it “hurts” to be corrected by You but now I believe it is more selfish shame from getting “caught” than True Repentance but Lord at least I am now getting a vision of what it means to have the “indwelling” of Your Holy Spirit to “teach us all things” and for You to “chasten” those You Love. Lord Jesus, my prayer today is for Forgiveness of my failure and blindness to see Your Truth in my life and for always somehow trying to get “my way” with life instead of accepting and embracing “Your Plan” for me — Lord, wash me, create in me a “clean heart”, and let it never seek to satisfy self again so that I may walk in Your Joy and in Your Peace for I know now that it is my selfish desires welling up from the flesh that is breaking Fellowship with the Holy Spirit and I realize that I am robbing myself of Your Blessings!        AMEN

THE JESUS QUESTIONS

SEPTEMBER 29  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#29-15  >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#29  “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?”  (Matthew 22:42)     Jesus is always “Teaching” and giving us “Lessons-within-a-Lesson” as He has just done with Teaching in His “Woe #3” that True Power is not in the temple of God, but, TRUE POWER IS IN THE GOD OF THE TEMPLE!!! Jesus ended that additional Lesson revealing our blindness to the obvious Truth of God that God IS the True Source of All Power with this statement: “He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by Him who dwells in it. And he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and Him who sits on it.” (Matthew 23:21-22)  Jesus continues Teaching His “Seven Woes” as He pronounces “Woe #4” — (though Jesus directs the “Seven Woes” at the scribes and Pharisees because of their “hypocrisy” His Lessons apply to everyone for His Teachings are TRUTH!) Jesus says “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.” (Matthew 23:23) Jesus is again pointing to the hypocrisy of giving “laws” to the nation that the lawmakers themselves do not follow and Jesus makes a specific accusation against them for burdening the nation with the “letter” of the “law” without truly following the “SPIRIT” of the Law which God originally intended when He gave the Law to Moses and later when God assigned EZRA the responsibility of using his “God-given wisdom” in appointing “magistrates and judges” to judge according to the “laws of God” (see Ezra 7:25) God Himself is “SPIRIT” so why is it that man ignores the “Spirit of the Law” and always “bends” the “letter of the law” to suit their selfish needs to maintain “power and authority” through the “doctrines of men”? — God’s Law has always been intended by God to be administered by those representatives of His that will “judge” using their “God-given wisdom” as they execute the law with “justice and mercy and faith” which are all the “weightier matters of the law” and are obviously the “Spirit of the Law” and not “letter of the law”! Jesus Teaches us with “Woe #4” that God is THE Eternal Spirit and that God gave us “The Law” to point us to His Infinite Grace and Mercy as we as individuals come to learn that God gave us the Law for our own good — we are not able to keep all the “letter” of the “Law” therefore we continually are aware how desperately we need the “Spirit of justice and mercy and faith” to overcome our inability to keep the “letter of the law”!!! Jesus adds an additional comment to “Woe #4” as He did with “Woe #3” when He said they were “Fools and blind!” for now at the end of “Woe #4” Jesus adds this description of those guilty of defiling the “Spirit of the Law” when He calls them “Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!” (Matthew 23:24) Therefore remember the “weightier matters of the law [are] justice and mercy and faith” and know that according to God, “justice and mercy and faith” constitute the “Spirit of the Law” — Jesus had already earlier in His Ministry Taught about the “Spirit” and the “letter” of the “Law” — “For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.” (Matthew 5:18)  and the Book of John reminds us also: “For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” (John 1:17) which was said of Jesus just before Jesus was identified as “The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29) Small wonder Jesus calls the scribes and Pharisees “hypocrites!” for teaching the “letter of the law” and missing the “True Spirit of the Law” which is “mercy and faith”!?!?!? If we listen to Jesus like God said, we will both “respect” the “letter of the law” and “revere” the “Spirit of the Law” — its your “Choice” but remember Who controls the “Consequence”!!!

SEPTEMBER 28 THE JESUS QUESTIONS JQ#29-14 >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#29 “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?” (Matthew 22:42)

LIVING FOR JESUS --- Daily Devotional

SEPTEMBER 28  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#29-14  >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#29  “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?”  (Matthew 22:42)

272 of 365 - Prayers to JESUS    

Jesus, Lord You and the Holy Spirit are to be Praised for Your Holy work in our lives. Lord I prayed several days ago for You to “help” me with a “flesh” problem and You directed me immediately after my prayer to two verses that specifically told me to “walk in the Spirit” and the second said that God gave us the Holy Spirit as a “Helper” that would dwell within us “forever” — I read Your Words and I welcomed the Holy Spirit and I have been “walking” with Him since I received Your answered prayer and all I can say again is “Prayer Works” and GOD IS GOOD!! I had my first “missionary” dream last night and in the dream there was this “hard case” young man that came to know Jesus through a program offered at the church and to see the “change” that Jesus made in his life was amazing and even though it was a dream, I still could feel the “JOY” of sharing Jesus with others and as soon as I awoke I remembered the dream and KNEW that I was serving Jesus and that “serving” Him is now so deep in my soul that I am having dreams of “Serving the Lord” instead of fulfilling the “lust of the flesh” — only God can answer prayer like that and that comes from “walking daily with Him” —and I give Him ALL THE PRAISE, GLORY, and HONOR!!!   AMEN

THE JESUS QUESTIONS

SEPTEMBER 28  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#29-14  >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#29  “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?”  (Matthew 22:42)      Jesus is pronouncing “Seven Woes” on the scribes and Pharisees because of their “hypocrisy” and He has just pronounced “Woe #3” where Jesus announces to the scribes and Pharisees that their “hypocrisy” makes those that follow the scribes and Pharisee’s defiled doctrines “twice as much a son of hell as yourselves” (Matthew 23:15)  and therefore all that follow the “doctrines of men” instead of the “Commands of God” condemn themselves to “hell”. “Woe #3” is a repeat of a previous lesson where the Pharisees had “plotted against [Jesus], [and] how they might destroy Him…”(Matthew 12:14) and Jesus answered the Pharisees accusations that He was “casting out demons…by Beelzebub” (Matthew 12:24) but  Jesus corrected them and stated that He was casting “out demons by the Spirit of God” and reminded them that because they could see the Spirit of God working that “surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.” (Matthew 12:28) But Jesus wasn’t through with the Pharisees as He said, “if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out” which basically meant that Jesus called the Pharisees sons of Beelzebub! (Matthew 12:27) Jesus ended that Lesson with “He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.” (Matthew 12:30) Jesus was still not through with the Pharisees for after Jesus pronounced “Woe # 3” He then tagged an additional “Woe” to “the sons of hell” as Jesus continued, “Woe to you blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obliged to perform it.’” (Matthew 23:16) and Jesus immediately corrects their “defiled doctrines” as He continues “Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold?” (Matthew 23:17) This Lesson is much like the Lesson God had taught the Israelites as they were taking possession of the “Promised Land of Canaan” and had drifted from following God and the Israelites had started taking “pride” in their “victories” instead of giving credit to God. The Israelites went out in their own strength and misplaced pride to face the Philistines and God did not go with them ——— once the battle was joined the Israelites suffered great losses at the hand of the Philistines. Then one of the Israelites said that the problem was that they had not brought the Ark of God with them so they went back and got the Ark and returned to battle; however, God allowed the Philistines to not only defeat the nation Israel but God allowed the Philistines to capture the ark, teaching the Israelites the most valuable Lesson that True Power is not in the Ark of God, but True Power is in the God of the Ark!!! (see 1 Samuel 4:1-11) So Jesus is again Teaching that same  Lesson to the scribes and Pharisees by showing them that they are blinded by their stolen power for True Power is not in their “doctrines or gold” even if they swear by the “temple” — the temple of God is not the True Power, True Power is the God of the temple!!! We must continually remind ourselves that it is God HIMSELF that is the TRUE Source of all Power and without Him we can do nothing ——— but with Him, we can do anything!!! 

SEPTEMBER 27 THE JESUS QUESTIONS JQ#29-13 >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#29 “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?” (Matthew 22:42)

LIVING FOR JESUS --- Daily Devotional

SEPTEMBER 27  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#29-13  >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#29  “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?”  (Matthew 22:42)

271 of 365 - Prayers to JESUS    

Jesus, Precious Jesus, Lord it is so wonderful a Privilege to be able to call on Your Holy Name. Our God is so Gracious that He says to call Him “ABBA Father” and then He sent His Only Begotten Son so that we might call the Son “friend” and “Brother”! Our Lord gives us the Rights and Privileges of Heirs therefore we are also called “children of God”! Oh Precious Jesus, how great a Love that God, very God, can do these marvelous things for a lost and dying world of sinners living in rebellion against this Holy God! Praise be to God Most High and His Only Begotten Son that was Obedient unto a cruel death on the cross in order that sinners through “Repentance” shall inherit the Kingdom of God!!! Lord, we exalt Thee above all names for You ARE the ONE TRUE LIVING GOD — The HOLY TRINITY: The FATHER, the SON, and the HOLY SPIRIT!!!   AMEN

THE JESUS QUESTIONS

SEPTEMBER 27  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#29-13  >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#29  “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?”  (Matthew 22:42)      Jesus is sending more than just one message when He pronounces these “Seven Woes” on the “scribes and Pharisees” addressing the major problem of their “hypocrisy”. Besides the obvious message that defiling a “Holy office” is not acceptable behavior for one called by God to represent Him and His Commands to the nation of Israel the scribes and Pharisees were also familiar with the prophesy of Ezekiel 34 where God states clearly “And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy and say to them”, ‘Thus says the LORD God to the shepherds: “Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks?”’…and “For thus says the LORD God: ‘Indeed I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out…I will establish on shepherd over them…’” (Ezekiel 34:1-2,11,23). Jesus also makes it clear that God is still active and paying attention to His world and that in His Sovereignty and Immutability that God will “reward obedience” and “punish disobedience”! A.W. Tozer in his book “Knowledge of the Holy” devoted a whole chapter on “The Immutability of God” to help us understand that God never changes nor does God after fourteen hundred years or so (the time between Moses and Jesus) decide that His Commandments are no longer viable. Tozer writes: “To say that God is immutable is to say that He never differs from Himself.” (Page 49, Knowledge of the Holy paperback Copyright 1961) and then Tozer elaborates as he quotes Anselm ({ref…}): “‘All that God is He has always been, and all that He has been and is He will ever be.’ Nothing that God has ever said about Himself will be modified; nothing the inspired prophets and apostles have said about Him will be rescinded. His immutability guarantees this.” (Page 50, Knowledge of the Holy paperback Copyright 1961) So Jesus is Teaching the nation Israel that God meant what He said 1400 years ago when He gave Moses the Commandments and Jesus is Teaching us that God is Eternal and He is Unchanging and that His commands will be applicable for ALL of time so everyone, regardless of the “time” or “generation” in which they are born, all souls are born into God’s creation and are subject to His Will, which as Tozer explains, God’s Will is “Immutable”! God was Sovereign BEFORE the creation existed and God will remain Sovereign AFTER the creation and time come to an end (From Genesis to Revelation) — however; there is NO END to the ETERNAL GOD and HIS SUPREME AUTHORITY!!! Jesus makes a point of the “Consequence” of “hypocrisy” and “disobedience” as He pronounces “Woe #3”: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.” (Matthew 23:15) Jesus reminds us that “He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.” (Matthew 12:30)  The scribes and Pharisees (the “shepherds of Israel”) were using their “Holy office” to make converts to “doctrines and traditions” that did not bring Israel to the Holy God that gave Moses the Commandments but instead of leading the converts to God, they placed the “burden” of the “Law” on Israel’s backs and enslaved them to following the “doctrines of men” which was exactly what Ezekiel had said about the “shepherds feeding themselves”! Jesus is clear that this kind of “hypocrisy” makes those participating in keeping others away from God are “sons of hell” — and it doesn’t take much explanation to understand that “sons of hell” are NOT “sons of God” — my advice is to consider how serious God is about “hypocrisy” and to pay attention to these “Seven Woes” and use them to evaluate  your answer to: “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?” (Matthew 22:42)

SEPTEMBER 26 THE JESUS QUESTIONS JQ#29-12 >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#29 “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?” (Matthew 22:42)

LIVING FOR JESUS --- Daily Devotional

SEPTEMBER 26  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#29-12  >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#29  “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?”  (Matthew 22:42)

270 of 365 - Prayers to JESUS    

Jesus, Blessed be the Name of the Lord, the Holy and Righteous Son of our God Most High, Praise and Honor are Yours and Yours alone. Lord, through all the ages You alone have been the Way for all to come to the Father, You are the Lamb of God , Perfect and without spot, Sacrificed for ALL sin to be Forgiven through belief in the Father’s Plan of Salvation. Yes! God, very God sent His Only Begotten Son to become Man very man, to live without sin so that He might give that Perfect Life as the Atonement for ALL sin, and through His Death and Resurrection, ALL men can be FREE from sin!  For ALL sin and come short of the Glory of God, but whosoever BELIEVES on the Son and His Perfect Sacrifice, shall not perish but have everlasting life!!!   AMEN

THE JESUS QUESTIONS

SEPTEMBER 26  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#29-12  >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#29  “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?”  (Matthew 22:42)      Jesus is completing His final Lesson on True Power and Authority which addresses the problem of “hypocrisy” in those that have defiled their “God-given wisdom” and “authority” and have led the nation Israel away from the commands of God and used their “authority” to develop “doctrines of men” that give those in “great authority” over Israel “power” over the nation using the Law of Moses — their “power” was supposed to be reserved for the Supreme Power — God Almighty —that gave Moses the Law to give to the nation but now that the scribes and Pharisees were using the “Law” to enslave the nation Israel! Jesus concludes by announcing “Seven Woes” which clearly expose the “Guilt” and “Justify” the “Woes” that they have brought upon themselves! “Woe #1” addressed the problem of “hypocrisy” because the rulers were keeping themselves and others out of the kingdom with their “doctrines of men” and then Jesus presents “Woe #2” : “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.” (Matthew 23:14) This second “Woe” is a reminder that just a few days earlier as Jesus had made His Triumphal Entry into  Jerusalem that He went immediately to the temple and “…drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple…” and then Jesus pronounced: “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.” (Matthew 21:1-13) So when Jesus says “you devour widows’ houses” He is referring to the “abuse of office” that would let the scribes and Pharisees steal widows’ houses and then to make matters worse, after “stealing” the widows’ property, the scribes and Pharisees would then go into the temple they had defiled and would pretend to “make long prayers” — and the “Consequence” of breaking the Command of God not to “steal” or “covet” and to do this while defiling their “office”, was not just condemnation by God — but the scribes and Pharisees because of their “hypocrisy” [they] “will receive greater condemnation”. This condemnation is similar to “Woe #1” where Jesus says that we will have to accept responsibility for those you have caused to turn from the kingdom because of your unbelief, with "Woe #2" Jesus is saying that because you defile your “God-given wisdom” and use it to cheat others, you will suffer “greater condemnation”! So a theme is surfacing from these “Woes” and it re-enforces previous Lessons that Jesus has Taught that everyone is subject to the “True Power and Authority” of the “Supreme and Sovereign God” who established His Commands for ALL to live by, and all that do not live by God’s Law will still be “judged” by God’s Law!!! Jesus pronounces the “Seven Woes” to clearly define the problem and to make it clear that if you “do the crime” you WILL “do the time” — Believe it or Not!?!?!?!?

SEPTEMBER 25 THE JESUS QUESTIONS JQ#29-11 >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#29 “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?” (Matthew 22:42)

LIVING FOR JESUS --- Daily Devotional

SEPTEMBER 25  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#29-11  >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#29  “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?”  (Matthew 22:42)

269 of 365 - Prayers to JESUS    

Jesus, Lord THANK YOU for answered prayer and for knowing when an immediate answer is an extra blessing. Jesus my first waking thought today was “of the flesh” and I immediately turned to You in prayer asking for You to guide me in dealing with the “flesh” and then when I got up out of bed the first thing I noticed was two stacks of Bible Verses that we change daily and there on the top of the first stack was Galatians 5:16 “…Walk in the Spirit, and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” Wow!!! — what a quick and direct answer to my prayer as just moments before as I had prayed specifically for Jesus to help me address the “flesh” issue! Then I looked at the second stack and it was John 14:16-17 and Jesus is talking to His disciples at the Last Supper and He says, “And I will pray the Father and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—the  Spirit of truth …”     So not only did Jesus answer my prayer immediately by telling me through His Word to “walk in the Spirit”, He then tells me that the “Father will give [me]” the “Spirit” to abide with me “forever”!!!!    All I can say is “PRAYER WORKS” and today it worked at the speed of “LIGHT”!!!   AMEN

THE JESUS QUESTIONS

SEPTEMBER 25  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#29-11  >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#29  “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?”  (Matthew 22:42)      Jesus has set the scene as He is Teaching His disciples and the multitudes and now He is pronouncing “Seven Woes” on the scribes and Pharisees because of their “hypocrisy!” God has sent Jesus to bring “SALVATION” and the biggest roadblock for the nation of Israel was the “hypocrisy” that was so prevalent among the leaders. Jesus started the Lesson by advising “do not do according to [the scribes’ and the Pharisees’] works; for the say and do not do.” (Matthew 23:3) This is where Jesus introduced the problem of “hypocrisy” — saying one thing and doing another! Then Jesus is specific in addressing the main problem of “hypocrisy!” when He pronounces the first of the “Seven Woes”: “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.” (Matthew 23:13) So it becomes obvious that if God has sent Jesus to bring “SALVATION” and enlarge the kingdom of God and that Jesus, as the Christ, is only doing His Divine Job by exposing the main problem/roadblock that is preventing Jesus from accomplishing His “Divine Task of Salvation”. The “Consequence” God has declared for “…whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.” (Matthew 18:6) For Jesus had just previously said very plainly, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:3) So the first “Woe” then is that all those who prevent others from entering the kingdom will not only NOT enter the kingdom but they will also “be cast into hell fire.” (Matthew 18:9) The lesson for us to learn from this first woe then would be that if you let your unbelief affect others and prevent them from entering into the kingdom that there will be extra “punishment” not only for your own “unbelief” but you will also receive punishment for  “preventing others” from believing! So if you decide that whatever you believe is just affecting you, then you probably need to stop and see how many innocent souls your unbelief is preventing from believing? If you do not let Jesus pay the debt of sin for all those your unbelief is preventing from “entering the kingdom of God”, then you and your unbelief will be held responsible for paying for their sins as well as yours — do not fall for the “Great Lie” that Satan tells to “unbelievers” that all you have to do to make God go away is to “not believe in God” — just like all of Satan’s lies there is enough Truth in his lies to make him really dangerous and in this case, “not believing in God” doesn’t make God “not exist” [the Lie] but your unbelief will make God honor your request and He will “go away” from the unbeliever [the Truth] — but you must ask yourself, “If I can’t make God go away completely then what do I do when I have to face eternity by myself knowing the ‘Consequence’ of ‘unbelief in God’ is living eternally in hell separated from God just like you asked for”!?!?!?!?!?

SEPTEMBER 24 THE JESUS QUESTIONS JQ#29-10 >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#29 “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?” (Matthew 22:42)

LIVING FOR JESUS --- Daily Devotional

SEPTEMBER 24  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#29-10  >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#29  “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?”  (Matthew 22:42)

268 of 365 - Prayers to JESUS    

Jesus, You are the Lamb of God sent to a sinful world to become the Atonement for the iniquities and transgressions of a lost and dying world — a world that is lost in sin and dying in darkness without the LIGHT of God —  a world in great need of the Perfect and Acceptable Sacrifice, sufficient to cover ALL SIN with ONE SACRIFICE, once for all! “Alas! and did my Savior bleed, and did my Sovereign die! Would He devote that sacred head for sinners such as I?”  (Isaac Watts - 1707) Lord Jesus, the Miracle of Your Love for sinners is the most overlooked Miracle You performed but Lord, may I never lose sight of Your Great Love that led You to the Cross and even though You could have called “ten thousand angels” to save You, Your Great Love made You choose to save us! O Blessed Redeemer, forgive me of my daily shortcomings as I walk in the flesh in a world that is not my home - renew my spirit daily with a fresh anointing of Your Holy Spirit that others will not see the sinful flesh of my body but they will see Jesus in my spirit!   AMEN

THE JESUS QUESTIONS

SEPTEMBER 24  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#29-10  >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< JQ#29  “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?”  (Matthew 22:42)      Jesus is Teaching a Universal Lesson with this Question that literally affects the eternity of every soul ever created — for the soul exists because GOD IS and in HIM BEING GOD, He has declared HIS PLAN OF SALVATION and that PLAN is built around the SACRIFICE of HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON JESUS!!! God has established with His Declarations and Commandments “The Divine Law of Choice and Consequences” and gave us the Holy Scriptures to guide us in using our “God-Given FREEWILL” to make “Choices” — Tozer stated it beautifully in his book “Knowledge of the Holy” when he wrote: “Our choice is our own, but the consequences of the choice have already been determined by the sovereign will of God…” (page 113) The Holy Scriptures is the complete history of man’s  “Choices” and God’s “Consequences” associated with that “Choice”, starting with Adam and Eve and the forbidden fruit and will end with the Lord’s Return and Final Victory over the evil and rebellion in this world that makes us “Choose” to follow our “flesh” instead of our “Faith”. So when Jesus asks “What do you think about the Christ?” (Matthew 22:42) we should take it very serious because the Holy Scriptures teach us that it is the Messiah that will bring “Salvation” to the world — logically we can only come to one conclusion: If Jesus is not the Christ, then the world is still lost in sin therefore the world is still waiting on “The Deliverer”!!!   So if you “think” that Jesus is not the Christ then you do not have a path to the kingdom, for Jesus Taught, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life” (John 14:6) and God declared through the Prophets, and each book of the Old Testament points to the coming of the Messiah through the Messianic Prophecies that were fulfilled by the life of Jesus of Nazareth — and according to Holy Scriptures, the only way to enter the kingdom of God is through the Messiah! This Question that links your belief about “Jesus” and “Christ” is the Question that you will base your eternity on ——— for if you decide the Holy Bible is irrelevant or that God is not real then you are choosing to declare that the Holy Scriptures are “irrelevant” and therefore you have chosen to live “without God”, but the problem with that line of “thinking” is that you have boxed yourself into a “hopeless" life that will end in death for the flesh but your eternal soul will have to stand before the very God you chose not to believe in and you will join the others that “convict themselves” with their unbelief and will be given exactly what they asked for, eternity without God!  Once again, Jesus and the Holy Scriptures and a “cloud” of witnesses proclaim that Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ!!! Imagine standing in front of God and you must answer God Himself “What do you think about the Christ?” This is a very, very important Question for the answer will determine your eternity ——— so I would advise you to give your answer some very, very serious thought, keeping in mind you have the right of “Choice” but God has ALREADY determined the “Consequence” !?!?!?!