Inspired by the Word of God

No More Faith

Scripture Reading: John 6:60-71

"At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him." John 6:66

John chapter 6 starts with huge crowds following Jesus wherever he went and ends with many of his disciples deserting him.  Not exactly what we’d call a church growth success story.  These are people who were following Christ - people whose hopes were very high, and now they are suddenly leaving him in droves.  What is going on here?

To the natural mind, to the un-regenerated mind, it is impossible to understand Jesus when he says that whoever eats his flesh has eternal life (John 6:51).  But the person who is a true believer knows that they cannot live without the "bread of life" (John 6:48).  The nominal Christian admires the Jesus who says to "love your neighbor as yourself", but is completely repulsed by the Jesus who says that unless they hate their own family, they cannot be his disciple (Luke 14:26).  The true believer has spiritual eyes, the discernment of the Holy Spirit, and knows that anything can become an idol, even their own family.  The faith of a genuine Christian is not shipwrecked by the seemingly difficult teaching of Jesus, instead we are convicted of our own sin and ultimately are able to love our family more deeply than ever, but now with God’s perspective.

The disciples who deserted Jesus were people who had attached themselves to Christ but had not yet truly believed.  They were disciples in the loosest sense of the word.  It’s easy to sit here and judge them, but it seems they aren’t much different than the large number of people in our churches today who think they are Christians but aren’t born again.  Their faith is intact as long as things are going the way they like and the preacher is saying the things they want to hear.  However, they are not genuine spiritual seekers who are hungry for the truth, they are merely cultural Christians with a socially acceptable religious identity.

I recently returned from a Pastor’s conference in eastern Poland.  I’ve heard many people say how difficult it is to serve God in Poland.  But let me tell you something, as I worshiped God with 120 Polish pastors and church leaders I was moved to tears and overwhelmed by their passion for Jesus and love for the living God.  My eyes were opened and my heart convicted as I heard story after story of their situations.  Ministry is hard wherever you are, but these men and women have their hand to the plow for the gospel of Jesus Christ.  The Spirit of God is alive and well in their ministries in the midst of difficult circumstances.

Are you spiritually discouraged?  Are you ready to give up on faith?  Is the teaching of Jesus hard to understand?  The question is, where else will you go?  Who else has the words of eternal life?  Jesus asked the twelve, "Are you also going to leave?"(v67).   When discouragement and doubt overtakes us, the answer is not to turn away from God, but to turn towards God!  As Peter said, "To whom would we go?".  "We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God."  Jesus alone has the words of life and they are the watchword of our faith.

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© 2010 David Soper, Inspired by the Word of God. All rights reserved. Scripture from New Living Translation

Food for Life

Scripture Reading: John 6:35-59

"I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever…"  John 6:51

"You are what you eat", we’ve all heard it.  I guess that means I resemble a double crusted apple pie.  Funny, but all of us know that we’re not literally what we eat.  This is just a clever phrase to emphasize the fact that the things we eat play a critical role in our health and our state of mind.  The food we eat determines how we feel, how we look, how we behave, even how we think.  The right foods will not only satisfy our hunger pangs, they will also help our body to function at its best.  Some foods are especially good, such as the bread that sustained the prophet Ezekiel for over a year!  "Now go and get some wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet, and emmer wheat, and mix them together in a storage jar. Use them to make bread for yourself during the 390 days you will be lying on your side." (Ezekiel 4:9)

Physically, we are what we eat, but the same is true spiritually.  Jesus said, "I am the bread of life".  In the same way that food provides life and nourishment to our bodies, it is Jesus that gives life and nourishment to our souls.  In the same way that the things we eat affect our health and well being, the life of Christ in us affects our eternal health and spiritual well being.  Just as the food we eat satisfies our hunger and gives us a feeling of contentment, so does Jesus, the bread of life, satisfy our souls and bring contentment to our spirit!  You can’t live for very long without eating, and as a Christian you can’t survive without the bread of life.

The crowd listening to Jesus objected strongly to this teaching.  They had witnessed Jesus perform a miracle and heard him teach before, but up to this point they were following Christ just for the show, not because they had truly believed.  Jesus called them out on it, "you haven’t believed in me even though you have seen me".  This really became an issue for the people when Jesus said, "Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh."  To those who are spiritually blind this is very strange, in fact, it’s downright offensive.  It’s not that Jesus was trying to alienate them.  He loved them!  He just wanted to be very clear with the message of life and death, eternal life and eternal death.  Those who believe, who are "taught by God" (v44), understand that Jesus was using this metaphor to make a point.  Jesus is more than a good show, He is life itself!  Perhaps you have struggled with this passage, and it certainly has some shock value the first time you read it, but the gospel is a call to a union with Christ.

I’ve heard it said that whenever we find ourselves too hungry, angry, lonely, or tired (HALT) we need to stop and take care of ourselves or we will become susceptible to making poor decisions and destructive behaviors.  In the same way, if we are spiritually hungry, angry, lonely, or tired, we become vulnerable to attacks of the enemy of our soul.  That is why Jesus offers himself to us as the bread of life.  Anyone who receives Jesus, trusts in Jesus, and is content in Jesus will never be hungry again.  All who feed on the true bread from heaven, who believe in Jesus, have eternal life. Jesus abides in you and His life becomes your life forever.

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© 2010 David Soper, Inspired by the Word of God. All rights reserved. Scripture from New Living Translation

Looking for a Miracle

Scripture Reading: John 6:22-30

Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs. But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you…” John 6:26-27

Why was Jesus so stern with the crowd that followed Him to Capernaum?  It seems on the surface that the people were simply excited about the incredible miracle they had witnessed and wanted to be around him.  But Jesus knew their hearts, and he knew that they didn’t yet understand the significance of what had happened.  They were more enamored with the miracle than they were the miracle giver.  Didn’t Jesus still care about their physical needs?  Of course he did, but he was more concerned about their soul than their stomach.  He used this moment to try and help them put the miracle in perspective with the greater work that God was doing. 

The crowd was looking for miracle.  All of us have been at a point in our lives when we needed a miracle to happen, and when we see God move in supernatural ways it strengthens our faith.  It reminds us that God is with us and that He cares about our lives.  But Jesus says that there is something much more important than miracles.  That something is God himself.  Miracles and miraculous signs can be a great blessing to the one who receives it, but they have a much greater purpose, that is, to point to the source of the miracle and give glory to God.

Jesus said, "Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you".   He’s not saying that we should never seek a miracle.  Jesus is just saying that eternal matters are a much higher priority.  He knows that we can be easily impressed by supernatural displays of power and may start to seek them more than we seek God.  Satan also knows this, and is more than happy to use weeping icons, bleeding effigies, or other so-called “miracles” to distract people from the biggest miracle of all, the miracle of the life of Christ in those who are born again.  To spend our energy seeking eternal life is to focus our life with great purpose on the things which matter most to God – our love for Him, our love for others, and belief in the Lord Jesus Christ, the one who He sent (v29).

There’s nothing wrong with looking for miracles in our lives.  Oswald Chambers said, “Our problems are a platform on which God can display His Glory”!  I believe that God loves it when we ask for the impossible because He Is the God of the impossible!  I believe He loves it when we have faith that expects miracles.  But He also loves faith that is not lost whether or not the miracle we wanted happens.  It is a matter of trusting Him.  If my faith is in God who I believe will really move heaven and earth to bring about his will – then He will show me that he will.

God can do anything.  If we believe he can, we will see he can.  We don’t have to run all over the world chasing miracles to see it happen.  As my wife said, “the face of Jesus in a piece of toast, that’s no miracle!  The face of Jesus in my husband, now, THAT’S a miracle!”

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© 2010 David Soper, Inspired by the Word of God. All rights reserved. Scripture from New Living Translation

New Strength for a New Year

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 40:25-31

Those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31

After weeks of holiday eating and endless sweets, we resolve to exercise more and lose those extra pounds.  We resolve to break bad habits and accomplish important life goals over the next 12 months.  We resolve to have a daily quiet time with God no matter how early we have to get up.  This year, by golly, not only do we resolve to read the entire Bible, we are going to stop watching too much TV and read that stack of books we’ve been putting off.  Yes, this is the year we are going to make it happen!

On New Years day we are full of optimism and determination to make good on all of our resolutions.  Then we wake up on January 2nd and life happens.  The kids need a ride, something comes up at work, we forgot we had a dentist appointment, and by the time evening rolls around we are too tired to be productive, so we reach for the remote control.  We are barely two days into the New Year and we can already feel life conspiring against us.  We can already feel our energy and determination start to go.  Where are we going to find the strength to get ahead?

“Those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.”  This is not a strength that comes from inside of us.  This strength comes from God and flows through us.  This is strength that gives us the mental courage, the physical stamina, and the spiritual motivation to rise above the fray when life happens.  This strength gives us the internal fortitude to accomplish big goals and become all that God wants us to be.  Perhaps you’re thinking that you just need to get better organized or rework your schedule.  You need to work smarter not harder.  Maybe you do, but you could be better organized than the Library of Congress and life will still happen!  What we need more than anything is the strength that God provides!

Are you determined to make a major change in your life this year?  God says that “You will soar high on wings like eagles”.  Perhaps you just want to live with a lot more purpose and focus.  You really want to make a difference with your life and not get distracted.  God says, “You will run and not grow weary”.  Maybe you just want the strength to keep on doing what you’re doing, to keep your hand to the plow without getting off course.  God says, “You will walk and not faint”.

What is it that you need strength for?  Whatever it is, the key to strength for this New Year is not dogged determination, but trusting in the Lord.  Just focusing on resolutions will drain our strength, but trusting in God gives us new strength.  Trusting in the Lord is more than confidence in God, it is an active relationship with God Himself.  As we spend time in His Word and prayer, we get to know Him and we find His strength.  To trust in the Lord is to let go of the reigns of our life and willingly place ourselves in His care.  When we align our goals with His will (Proverbs 3:5-6) and rest in Him, we will find the motivation and energy and discipline we need to make important changes that will last for a lifetime.

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Do you want some help setting Spiritual Goals for 2010?  Try this 16-point Spiritual Health Check.

© 2010 David Soper, Inspired by the Word of God. All rights reserved. Scripture from New Living Translation

16 Point Spiritual Health Check

Click here to view a Printable Version of 16 Point Spiritual Health Check

1. I am growing in my love for Jesus
   
2. I am reading the Bible daily
   
3. I am attending worship services regularly
   
4. I am praying constantly for everything
5. I am tithing to the church regularly
6. I am giving to missions often
   
7. I am giving to the needs of others
8. I am feeding my mind with Godly things
   
9. I am cultivating righteous relationships
   
10. I am living with integrity and honesty
11. I am serving my family
12. I am serving my church
    
13. I am serving my community
14. I am available when others need me
    
15. I am looking for opportunities to share Jesus
    
16. I am excited when God blesses others

What are the 3 things you need the most work on? Turn them into specific goals for 2010 and write them down. Ask God for help.

My Spiritual Goals for 2010

1.  ___________________________________
2.  ___________________________________
3.  ___________________________________

Gripped by Fear

Scripture Reading: John 6:16-21

They had rowed three or four miles when suddenly they saw Jesus walking on the water toward the boat. They were terrified, but he called out to them, “Don’t be afraid. I am here!”  John 6:19-20

During my last year of college, I went with a group of friends in the early spring to a remote location on Lake Superior for a weekend of camping and fishing.  We were camped at a beautiful spot near the mouth of the Huron River in northern Michigan.  The air was still cold from winter, and in fact, the ice had just broken up on the lake the week before. 

That first morning the wind was blowing hard and the waves were rough, but we were determined to fish.  Some of the guys decided to play it safe and walk up the river and fish from shore, but myself, and two others wanted to venture out onto the big lake and fish for Coho salmon.   After we launched the boat it wasn’t long before we realized how dangerous it was, and that we had made a foolish decision.  As we desperately tried to navigate our way back to the safety of the river, we spun sideways into a large wave and it flipped our 20 foot boat over like it was nothing.  All these years later, I can still remember the slow motion feeling of flying through the air and out of the boat into the dark, ice cold water.  I was terrified at the thought of drowning or dying from hypothermia, but God helped all three of us make it to shore, and thankfully, we each recovered in a few days.

It was a defining moment in my life, and not just because of the near death experience, but because I began to understand the power and grace of God in a whole new way.  All my life I had been taught about God’s amazing grace, but it was more of a spiritual concept to me than it was a personal reality.  The very second that my feet touched the safety of the shoreline, I knew deep inside me that God had not merely saved me from drowning, He was reaching out to me to teach me some profound lessons in a way that I would never forget.  The fear that gripped me on the lake suddenly became a razor sharp focus on God.

As I sat there violently shaking from the cold and soaked to the bone, I was overwhelmed by the thought that God was giving me another chance.  Even though I professed to be a Christian, I had been living in a self centered fog where my highest priority was drugs.  There was a battle raging for my heart and I didn’t even know it.  Jesus went to drastic measures to shake me up and get me to think about what I was going to do with the rest of my life.  This is the reality of grace!  I had been completely ignoring God and it wasn’t until I experienced the fear of losing everything that God really got my attention.  My eyes were opened to the fact that life is serious business.  I had been afraid to give Jesus control, but now I was afraid of what would happen if I didn’t.

What are you afraid of?  Jesus said to the disciples on the Sea of Galilee, and He says it to each of us, “don’t be afraid, I am here” (cf. Revelation 1:16-18).  Jesus himself comes to us.  Jesus himself gets in the boat with us.  Are you afraid your life won’t matter?  Jesus is here!  Are you afraid of losing someone close to you?  Jesus is here!  Are you afraid you won’t survive the storm?  Jesus is here!

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© 2009 David Soper, Inspired by the Word of God. All rights reserved. Scripture from New Living Translation

Tested by Jesus

Scripture Reading: John 6:1-15

Jesus soon saw a huge crowd of people coming to look for him. Turning to Philip, he asked, “Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?” He was testing Philip, for he already knew what he was going to do.  John 6:5-6  

Are you Google material?  The only way you’ll know is to submit yourself to the gauntlet of employee testing that Google is famous for.  They test rigorously to ensure that Google hires only the best and brightest, which is critical to their success.  You may think that when you finished school you were done with tests, but all of our life we face tests, and this is not a bad thing!  We may not look forward to tests, but the challenge of a test helps us grow, it helps us to measure our progress in the things that are important to us.  It helps us to assess if we are prepared for a higher level of performance.  A genuine test is the only way to truly examine our strengths and weaknesses.  If you want to go scuba diving, you better make sure you pass the certification test, or you are taking your life in your hands!  

Testing is also a critical part of our spiritual growth.  The scriptures say that God blesses those who patiently endure testing (James 1:12).  Philip was tested by Jesus to help prepare him for the challenges he would face as an apostle.  When Jesus asked him, “where can we buy bread to feed all these people?”, he obviously wasn’t asking for the location of the closest market.  Jesus was getting to a much deeper point.  Jesus wanted to know if Philip really understood who He was.  He wanted to know if Philip instinctively knew that Jesus, the creator of the universe, had the power to supply any need.  Unfortunately Philip didn’t pass the test at that moment, but he sure learned from it.  As Philip witnessed the miracle of the feeding of over 5000 people from 5 loaves and 2 fish, the unlimited resources of Jesus Christ would be forever stamped in his soul.  Later, when Philip became a missionary to Asia, I’m sure he had unshakable confidence and trust in the power of Jesus.  

Spiritual testing is not always about big, earth shattering events, in fact it usually happens in the context of our everyday lives.  When that thing you expected to happen is suddenly delayed by something outside of your control, how will you respond?  When you have to do what seems impossible with very little money or resources, how will you respond?  When you are faced with a decision pitting Christian convictions vs. short term personal gain, how will you respond?  When we are tested by Jesus it is always designed to accomplish a purpose in our lives.  It’s not to see how smart or skilled we are, it’s to see if we will trust him.  Like with Philip, Jesus already knows what he’s going to do, but the test is to see if we are willing to walk with him.  He wants to know if we will instinctively rely on him.  Spiritual testing IS the process of discipleship.  Learning spiritual information is helpful, but until we are tested in the crucible of real life, we haven’t yet grown.  

If you desire to follow hard after God, you will be tested.  In fact, the scripture says that we should test ourselves to see if our faith is genuine (2 Corinthians 13:5).  The disciples were just ordinary men who were used by God in extraordinary ways.  And like all disciples, then and now, they were tested by Jesus.

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© 2009 David Soper, Inspired by the Word of God. All rights reserved. Scripture from New Living Translation

Witness of the Heart

Scripture Reading: John 5:31-47

“You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! Yet you refuse to come to me to receive this life.”  John 5:39-40

Chris, my long time friend and a gifted engineer, picked up the Bible at one point in his life and read it cover to cover.  The testimony of the scriptures spoke to his heart and by the grace of God and the Holy Spirit, convinced him that the gospel is true.  With a heart open to hear from God, he believed the witness of the Bible and became a Christ follower!  Chris’s story is not typical, but the fact of the matter is that the evidence is in there.   In fact, the evidence is all around us; the witness of the scriptures, the witness of creation, the witness of a transformed life, the witness of miraculous events, the witness of our hearts all testify to the truth of Jesus Christ.  The question is, will we believe?  

Jesus made this case to the religious leaders who opposed his ministry and message.  In essence, he said to the skeptics, “how much proof do you need”?   Their problem was not lack of evidence.  What about John the Baptist?  They were very enthusiastic about his message initially (v35), but later they didn’t believe him.  What about the miracles of Jesus?  They had just talked with the man who Christ healed at the pool of Bethesda.  What about the scriptures themselves, which they held so sacred?  The scriptures point to Jesus, yet they didn’t believe! 

Truth is, there is never enough evidence to convince a skeptic, especially when it comes to spiritual matters.  There may be overwhelming evidence for God, but if our hearts aren’t ready to receive what the evidence is pointing to, we will dismiss it or find some other explanation.  On the other hand, if our hearts ARE open to God we will see the very same evidence for what it really is… clear pointers to the presence and reality of God!   We are logical creatures who like to make sense out of things, but at the end of the day we also decide with our heart.  That’s why it’s called faith.  Think about your own spiritual journey.  Why did you choose to cross the line of faith?  Was it because of the preponderance of evidence, or was it the spiritual vacuum in your life which needed to be filled?  Was it a process of deductive reasoning or your soul crying out to God?  Chances are, it was both.  

God doesn’t expect anyone to believe without clear evidence, that’s why he reveals himself to us in so many different ways.  But if you listen to the secular world, you would think that to choose faith is to reject reason.  This is just not the case!  You don’t check your brain at the door to become a Christian.  Scientific evidence is not the enemy of the Christian faith.  In fact, the more we learn about the universe, the more we see the creative genius of our awesome God.  He made us as infinitely complex beings in an infinitely complex world, where we are able to embrace the mysteries of God by faith, and still critically evaluate the evidence around us.  As a Christian, it is our daily privilege and pleasure to recognize the evidence of God’s presence and the reality of Jesus Christ in our lives - whether it’s the beauty of nature, the words of scripture, or an answer to prayer.  Take time today to enjoy the evidence of God in your life and thank Him that He loves you that much.

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© 2009 David Soper, Inspired by the Word of God. All rights reserved. Scripture from New Living Translation

Spiritual Hydration

Scripture Reading: John 4:1-15

“Those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.” John 4:10

Have you ever seen an artesian well?  It is a natural phenomenon where underground water flows to the surface without the help of a pump.  There was one near our cottage in Northern Michigan and in the summer we would fill up our water jugs at the artesian well.  It was the coldest, purest, best tasting water you could imagine.  The fresh, bubbling water could satisfy any thirst.  The thing that amazed me as a child was that it was always running.  The water kept flowing day and night.  

People need water.  Without water, humans can only survive for a few days.  For good health, we need 2 quarts of clean water every day.  Water makes up an amazing 60 percent of our body weight.  Virtually every system in the human body depends on water. Water flushes toxins out of vital organs and carries nutrients to cells.  Lack of water leads to dehydration and even mild dehydration has a dramatic effect.  If you lose just 2.5% of your body weight from water loss, you will loose 25% of your physical and mental abilities due to thickening blood and reduced circulation.  When the body is thirsty for water, nothing will work except water. 

The same is true spiritually.  When our souls are thirsty, nothing will satisfy except living water.  Without it, our spirit dries up and ceases to function.  Without it, we look for something else to satisfy us. The Samaritan woman was looking Jesus right in the eye, and still said, “Where do I find this living water”?  Why is it that we will try everything in this world before we believe Jesus?  Like a mirage in the desert, the world can’t satisfy our spiritual thirst. 

Even those of us who call ourselves Christians can miss it.  You can go to church, give and serve, even work in ministry, but it doesn’t mean that you are drinking from the well of living water.  We can be immersed in Christian activities and still be spiritually dry as a bone.  If we are constantly giving of ourselves but never filling our own cup, we will become spiritually dehydrated.  And like the physical body, spiritual dehydration will drain the life out of us to the point that we stop caring, stop loving people, and even stop loving God.

Christian or not, we all need to be reminded that the source of living water is Jesus Christ.  Not the church, not ministry, not the latest Christian book, not stirring Christian music, but Jesus.  Jesus said, “those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again”.  The church alone cannot quench our thirst for God.  Christianity is first and foremost a relationship with Jesus Christ.  Like water for our physical body, His life refreshes us.  When Jesus abides in us, it flushes the toxins of sin from our life and brings spiritual nourishment to our soul.  His life in us keeps us spiritually hydrated, healthy, and able to serve. 

When we drink the water that Jesus gives us, something unexpected happens - we ourselves become a fresh, bubbling spring (v14).  Not only are we refreshed and nourished, but we become a source of refreshment and encouragement for others, because the life of Christ is flowing through us!   Is your soul spiritually dry?   Are you serving on empty?  There is nothing that will fill your spiritual tank like the life of Christ in you.  With simple faith cry out to him, "Please Lord, give me this water and I will never thirst again"!

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© 2009 David Soper, Inspired by the Word of God. All rights reserved. Scripture from New Living Translation

He is the Son of God

Scripture Reading: John 5:16-30

“And I assure you that the time is coming, indeed it’s here now, when the dead will hear my voice—the voice of the Son of God. And those who listen will live.” John 5:25  

“A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.” (C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity)  

Many of us choose to call Him Lord and God.  However, I suspect that we are more casual with Jesus than we would like to think.   How often do we weigh the pro’s and con’s of following Christ instead of giving His words the weight of Almighty God Himself?  How often do we obey His commands when it suits our lifestyle, but resist if it’s too radical?  Speaking for myself, I know I am sometimes more like the legalistic Jewish leaders who chastised Christ for healing on the Sabbath, than like Jesus who had compassion on the man who was in bondage for 38 years.   

The Son of God is no one to be trifle with.  The Son of God is absolutely sovereign over our lives, both physical and spiritual.  Not only did He create our life, but He will raise it from the dead (v21).  This is power we can’t comprehend.  The Son of God has complete authority to judge our lives and eternal destiny (John 5:27-30).  When we think of Jesus, do we think of a figure hanging on a piece of cross jewelry, or do we see Him at the right hand of God the Father and fall on our face in awe, reverence, fear, respect, worship, devotion and honor!?  

When we get a hold of the fact that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, it changes everything. Not just our eternal destiny (v24), but our purpose and power for living.  Our prayer life will be completely transformed.  Instead of limply reciting our wish list of prayers into the air, we are praying to the Almighty God in the name of His Son!  It changes our habits, because we want to be holy, more like Christ.  It changes our priorities, because we understand the serious nature of this life and that our actions and decisions matter for an eternity.  It changes how we deal with people, because we see them as precious souls, created in the image of God.  

There is a saying - like father, like son.  There is no doubt that I am my father’s son.  I share some of his features, but mostly I share his mannerisms and expressions.  There are even times when I hear my father in my own voice!  Jesus, the Son of God, is the perfect reflection of His Father (v19).  If you want to know God, then get to know Jesus.  If you want to learn God’s will, then learn the teachings of Jesus.  If you want to please God, then do the things that Jesus told us to do.  If you want to honor God, then honor the Son of God!

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© 2009 David Soper, Inspired by the Word of God. All rights reserved. Scripture from New Living Translation