Lord and Best Friend

Jesus is our Lord, Savior, and Best Friend, sparing nothing for our benefit, not even His life.

January’s Awakening, Day 7

Situations will not cloud my vision from seeing the clarity of God, in the name of Jesus Christ.

 —Alex Uwajeh, “The Power of Positive Affirmations”

When I understand that everything happening to me is to make me more Christlike, it resolves a great deal of anxiety.

 —A. W. Tozer 

If we are to be just like Jesus, we must have regular time of talking to God and listening to his Word.

 —Max Lucado   

            The unique characteristic of our God, especially in the person of Jesus Christ, that distinguishes Him from all other pagan deities is that He is a personal God acting as our best friend. He is not there to condemn or control or coerce or to use or abuse or cause us to sin, but to be as a best friend to empower, encourage, uphold, and uplift us to the highest level and hope in Him. He is the true pathway to heaven; our road of hope here, our trail to find peace, and in our journey through life He is there as our Lord, Savior, and Best Friend who has spared nothing to bring us closer to Him.

Jesus Is Lord

Jesus boldly declared in numerous ways that He was God. And He showed it.  

January’s Awakening, Day 6

Of all the great sages and prophets throughout world history, Jesus alone claimed to be God-become-man.

 —Luis Palau

He said that he was in existence before Abraham and that he was “lord” of the Sabbath; he claimed to forgive sins; he continually identified himself, in his work, his person and his glory, with the one he termed his heavenly Father; he accepted men’s worship; and he said that he was to be the judge of men at the last day, and that their eternal destiny would depend on their attitude to him.

 —J. N. D. Anderson 

Take hold of Jesus as a man and you will discover that he is God.

 —Martin Luther

“Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!”  John 8:58 NIV 

Then Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”  Luke 6:5 NIV

But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.”  Matthew 9:6 NIV

Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. John 14:9–!0 NIV

Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.” Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. John 9:37–38 NIV 

For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. Moreover, 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. John 5:21–23 NIV

There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day. John 12:48 NIV  

            As the above Scriptures testify, only God Himself could claim what Jesus claimed and perform those claims in full as Jesus did. Jesus identified Himself as “I AM”, Yahweh, LORD, the personal name of God. He declared that He was Lord over the Sabbath, the sacred and holy day of rest that God established at His creation of all the entirety of what exists. With authority, He forgave the sins of those who came to Him. He declared that He and the Father were One and interacting as One. He freely accepted the worship of those who recognized Him for who He was. He stated that judgment had been entrusted to Him by the Father, and that He in fact was the only way to the Father. To reject the words of Jesus is to reject the heavenly abode and God. Yes, Jesus is Lord.   

Conqueror and Light of Day

His is the light that overcomes the darkness. He is the One who conquers by His spirit.

January’s Awakening, Day 5

Pythagoras, Epicurus, Socrates, Plato, these are the torches of the world; Christ is the light of day.

 —Victor Hugo

Jesus of Nazareth, without money and arms, conquered more millions than Alexander, Caesar, Mahomet, and Napoleon.

 —Philip Schaff

            Many a great mind have come and gone throughout history attempting to explain the world and self and God Himself. Some have left indelible marks on current thinking, leaving a positive legacy in our knowledge base. Others have not. So too have the great leaders of the war machines of history left their infamous mark on the people and nations of our world. In all these things, change has come but not always effective or positive in the betterment of all mankind. Changing thought patterns and political boundaries does not always result in enlightenment or an increase in the standard of living.

            Christ however, has left such a mark on all humanity so as to provide the ultimate in the human experience as to the illumination of truth and the pathway to the pinnacle of existence of the human body, soul, and spirit. While others have been flickering candles, Christ is the intense inextinguishable light of day. He is the conqueror who has captured the hearts and minds of the people, not by power or might, but by His spirit. There has never been, nor will there ever be, one more powerful and effective as His irrepressible light penetrating into the deepest darkness of the human condition.

Authoritative Teacher and Miraculous Healer

Authoritative teaching and miraculous healing while proclaiming the good news of the kingdom accompanied Jesus wherever He went. He was no ordinary man.

January’s Awakening, Day 4

I tell the Hindus that their lives will be imperfect if they do not also study reverently the teaching of Jesus.

 —Gandhi

[Jesus is] our divinest symbol. Higher has the human thought not yet reached. A symbol of quite perennial, infinite character; whose significance will ever demand to be anew inquired into, and anew made manifest.

 —Thomas Carlyle

Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. Matthew 9:35 NIV

The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. Mark 1:22 NIV 

            Jesus taught as one with authority because He was the Authority. The Living Word was teaching the Written Word, which had already been conceived in His mind before the Word had been penned and even before the beginning of time. As Jesus proclaimed that the kingdom was at hand He provided tangible proof by casting out demons, healing the sick, giving sight to the blind, mobility for the lame, feeding the thousands, calming the sea, raising the dead, forgiving sins, and brought eternal hope for the broken. Signs, wonders, and miracles were the norm that accompanied His teaching. No, not an ordinary teacher; no, not an ordinary man. Crucified, three days dead, and resurrected to life, seen, touched and experienced by many, and then ascended into heaven, witnessed by many—positive proof that He was who He claimed to be. One with the Father, God had come.

The Historical Jesus

The question is not so much the existence of the historical Jesus, but rather, was Jesus who He claimed to be.

January’s Awakening, Day 3

At this time there was a wise man who was called Jesus. And his conduct was good and he was known to be virtuous. And many people from among the Jews and other nations became his disciples. Pilate condemned him to be crucified and to die. And those who had become his disciples did not abandon his discipleship. They reported that he had appeared to them three days after his crucifixion and that he was alive. Accordingly he was perhaps the Messiah concerning whom the prophets have recounted wonders.

 —Flavius Josephus, Jewish Historian, “Epitome from the Universal History of Agapius” 

The doubts which have been cast on the historical reality of Jesus are, in my judgment, unworthy of serious attention.

 —James Frazer, non-Christian writer 

No serious scholar has ventured to postulate the non-historicity of Jesus.

 —Otto Betz 

            This is certainly not a dissertation or treatise on the historicity of Jesus, but meant only to prompt your heart and mind to solidify your faith in who Jesus is to you. There is sufficient evidence outside of our Gospel accounts concerning the person of Jesus to place Him with certainty in history. But that evidence only concerns the man. Jesus claimed to be much more than mere man, and that’s what most skeptics or those refuting the claims of Jesus would have issue with. That is where your faith must take its leap and embrace not only Jesus the man, but Jesus our God. History can only assert His humanity. Faith must assert His divinity, and certainly trusting the Gospel accounts of His miracles and statements and resurrection should be sufficient evidence to take that step of faith.

            When someone asks you why you believe in Jesus, you should be prepared to give a reasonable response as to the reality of the historical man, and why you have faith to believe He is also your God.

Live Priorities

Set priorities. Better still, live priorities. To see the miracles happen, you must intimately know the Miracle-Maker.

January’s Awakening, Day 2

I believe in the power of Jesus Christ to resolve any difficulty, to remove any weakness, to heal any disease.

 —Norman Vincent Peale

My order of priorities reflects the level of my commitment to Christ. Whoever or whatever is in first place, if it isn’t the Lord Jesus, is in the wrong place.

 —Charles Swindoll

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33 NIV

            As a believer, you have the authority to tap into that same phenomenal power of Christ Himself. But it takes your unswerving belief, unwavering faith, and unrelenting dedication to Him to bring about those miracles in your life and in the lives of others. Priorities. If Christ is first in your life and you are diligently seeking Him and His righteousness, then you will witness those miracles in your life, and through prayer, be able to witness the miraculous in the lives of others as well.

            Becoming a mature believer living in the fullness of the power of Christ takes persistence, perseverance, dedication, and commitment, with a humble and contrite heart following hard after Him. Resolve in your heart to become that believer of power, living each day in the fullness of Him. Break the chains, release the restraints, and open your heart, mind, and spirit to embrace Him in all His glory and splendor. Pray each day, “more of you, Lord, and less of me.”

Start the New Year with a Prayer

Start the year off right. Be God’s instrument. Be God’s light.

January’s Awakening, Day 1—For New Year’s Day

We are told to let our light shine, and if it does, we won’t need to tell anybody it does. Lighthouses don’t fire cannons to call attention to their shining—they just shine.  

 —Dwight L Moody

In a world characterized by loneliness and despair, we can reach out in love to those around us. Or, as St. Francis once said, we can “preach the gospel all the time; if necessary, use words.”

 —Phil Callaway, “Making Life Rich Without Any Money”

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18–20 NIV 

            Have you resolved to make positive changes in your life for this year and beyond? Are you prepared to be God’s instrument of peace, love, forgiveness, faith, hope, light, and joy? Are you seeking first His kingdom and determined to bring as many as you are able with you?

Start this year off right. The most powerful resolution that you can make in your heart is to adopt that prayer as your mission statement for this year. Just imagine the possibilities if a multitude embraced that prayer and put it into action each day. Be a contagious Christian of the distinguished and admirable kind. God wants you and this world most certainly needs you.