JESUS' MINISTRY

His Life and Ministry The Son of God came to live life on earth as a human, giving us an example for how we should live our lives and conduct ministry. Tags: Jesus, Jesus Life, Ministry As a child Jesus lived with Joseph and Mary in Egypt for a short time until King Herod died. "After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, 'Get up, take the child and His mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child's life are dead.' So he got up, took the child and His mother and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth." (Matthew 2:19-23). So Jesus grew up and spent much of his life in a small town in Israel called Nazareth. When Jesus was about 30 years old, He began His public ministry. His cousin John the Baptist was a prophet who spoke truth to Israel and baptized people in the River Jordan. "Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter Him, saying, 'I need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?' "Jesus replied, 'Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.'" (Matthew 3:13-15). So John baptized Jesus. "As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and He saw the spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on Him. And a voice from heaven said, 'This is My Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased.'" (Matthew 3:16-18). Jesus began to preach and gather disciples -- people who would follow Him and later begin the Christian church. "As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 'Come, follow me,' Jesus said, 'and I will make you fishers of men.' At once they left their nets and followed Him." (Matthew 4:18-20). Jesus soon had gathered disciples who were to be the inner group of His followers, but His ministry was not limited to them. Thousands of people would gather to listen to His teaching as He traveled throughout Israel. Jesus taught about God’s kingdom, and His love and righteousness. He healed the sick; on three occasions He raised people from the dead. Attracted by His miracles, people tried to make Him an earthly king, but He told them that His kingdom was not of this world. Jesus did not come to establish an earthly political kingdom; He came as the King of Kings who would reign for all eternity in our hearts. Someday Jesus would return to earth and establish His kingdom which would never end, but it was not yet His time for this

Jesus Has Saved Me How can you be sure you are saved?

Jesus Has Saved Me How can you be sure you are saved? If you have had feelings of doubt following your decision to receive Christ, you are not alone. How can you be sure you are saved? How do Christians find confidence they will remain in their relationship with Jesus? What must I do to be saved? First, look to see what God says you must do to be saved. The Bible says salvation is simple. “Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.” (Acts 16:31) Salvation begins with “repentance” - turning from sin and depending only on Jesus, instead of yourself or someone else. When people asked Jesus what kind of human work God likes, He said, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.” (John 6:29). Second, what did God promise? “And this is what He promised us—eternal life” (1 John 2:25). It cost Jesus His own blood, giving up His life, to give you eternal life. But it was a free gift to you (Ephesians 2:8-9). What the Bible says about being saved: Jesus is the Good Shepherd, who has given His life for His sheep (John 10:11). No one can snatch them from His grip (John 10:28-29). Those who come to Him will never be driven away (John 6:37). Since God knows everything from the very beginning of time, His acceptance of you could not be a mistake. He does not take back His gifts. He does not take back His calling (Romans 11:29). God's children are sealed with the Holy Spirit--God’s own Spirit, living inside you. God sees you as His own child, and you can look at Him as your Father (2 Corinthians 1:22, Ephesians 1:13, 4:30, Romans 8:15). You are kept in His grace, not by your good works, but by God Himself: "You are being kept by the power of God because you put your trust in Him and you will be saved from the punishment of sin at the end of the world" (1 Peter 1:5). God is able to keep you from leaving your faith. He will present you clean and blameless when you meet Him in a joyful celebration of His glory (Jude 24). As I look to Jesus, God's power and promise make me sure of my salvation. Feelings come and go. Our mistakes sometimes make us wonder whether we are even saved. Jesus is faithful, even when we are not. God knows our struggles and gently reminds us to look to Jesus. If you are trusting only in Jesus -- His sinless life, His death for you, His return from the dead, and His faithful promises -- you can know that you have eternal life (1 John 5:13).

How to Make Decisions

Let God direct your decisions

Written by Bulalu Tonny on 17/11/2017

Series: Weekly Devotional

Tags: Decisions, Guidance, Bible, Holy Spirit

---

For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.

Romans 8:14

Having guidance to make good decisions is one of the most beneficial aspects of being a devoted follower of Christ.

If you need to make a decision about a job or about a relationship, or about what to do in any area of your life, you can count on God directing you in these 3 ways:

1. The Bible

Everything we do must be in agreement with God’s Word. Of course, the best way to know God’s Word is to study the Bible every day. A mind that is trained in the Word of God can know the mind of God in any situation.

Just be careful how you apply God’s Word in your life. Don’t just choose a random Bible verse without looking at its context. This is a form of divination, which is forbidden by God. (See Deuteronomy 18:10.) It’s said that a man was desperately seeking God’s guidance for a decision he had to make. He closed his eyes and opened the Bible somewhere near the back, his eyes randomly falling on a verse that referred to Judas hanging himself following his betrayal of Christ. In anguish, he closed the Bible and blindly opened it again, hoping for guidance. Upon opening to a random verse, his eyes fell on the words “go and do thou likewise.” Obviously this is not a way to get guidance from God.

A devoted follower of Christ must be a serious student of the Word of God. Our mind is trained to be in agreement with the mind of God when we study the Word of God every day. Memorizing key passages of the Bible will also train our mind to make decisions that are in line with God’s will.

Here’s a few promises for those who love God’s Word:

• Psalm 119:9, 11: How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your Word. I have hidden your Word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
• Psalm 119:105: Your word is a lamp that gives light wherever I walk.

2. The Holy Spirit

As a follower of Christ, you have the Holy Spirit living inside of you. The Holy Spirit is part of the Trinity: God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. That means that you have direct access to God. It works like this: We pray TO God, THROUGH Jesus, IN the power of the Holy Spirit.

Just as it is best to be a daily student of the Bible to have God’s guidance, so it is with direction from the Holy Spirit. It is best to have a daily, intimate walk with God through prayer if you want to be led by the Spirit. In God’s grace and love, he will “speak” to us by bringing applicable Bible passages to our mind, by providing advice through Christian friends, or just bringing ideas into our minds through prayer. God will guide us whenever we listen to him, but those who invest time each day with the Holy Spirit in prayer will recognize His guidance better than those who just drop in occasionally.

I would like to introduce you to the Biblical concept of keeping in step with the Spirit. Like two people walking side by side must keep in step with each other in order to end up at the same place, so we must learn to keep in step with the Spirit of God.

Paul says in Romans 8:14 “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.” We can rely on God’s Spirit to lead us if we have a personal relationship with God through Christ. In John 16:7, Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit as our ‘paraclete,’ a Greek word meaning our Comforter, Counselor, Advocate, Helper, Strengthener, and Supporter; the One who comes alongside of us and says, “go this way, go here.” Make the time to quiet yourself before God, ask him for guidance that is directed by the Holy Spirit, and He will lead you.

3. Godly Counsel

Once we have trained our mind in the Word of God and in the Spirit of God, the final step to make a good decision is to consult with wise and Godly people.

This could mean talking to a wise and trusted pastor, elder, or leader in the church. Or it could mean consulting a trusted friend whom you know to be a follower of Christ with your best interest at heart. If you are married, it is vital to consult with your spouse, asking them to pray with you and taking input from them. It is always wise to seek complete agreement between husband and wife before making any major decisions.

A beautiful illustration of this is found in Acts 15:28. A major decision had to be made by the apostles. They met together to talk and to pray about what to do. Finally, they came to a solid decision. It says “it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us.” A decision was made that was in line with the Bible, with the leading of the Holy Spirit, and with the wisdom and counsel of fellow believers. This is the winning combination. If you need to make a decision and what you are considering is against any of these 3 indicators, please step back and wait for further guidance.

One of the greatest things about being a child of God is that He promises to lead us every step of the way. Being a student of God’s word, having our mind controlled by the Holy Spirit, and surrounding ourselves with Godly friends is the best way to make good decisions in life.

---

Pray this week:

Lord, please take control of my life and be ever-present in every decision I make. May everything I do be pleasing to you and also be of a living testimony to others around me.