Who is Jesus?

I was watching TV one day and ran across the show “Reflections” hosted by Hazem Farraj.  Hazem was a Muslim who converted to Christianity.  He gave a wonderful description of who Jesus really is and I wanted to share this with you.  No one could have said it any better.

Jesus is the son of God. 

He was in the beginning and before that He was.
He knows no boundaries and has no limits.
For all eternity He will be with you.
If you are hungry for righteousness, He will fill you.
He will give you love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

He is love.

He is the key to peace.
He is the gateway to heaven.
His promises are free.
His love is endless.
His face is glorious.
His light is overwhelming.

Satan fears Him.

Kings don’t understand Him. 
Christians worship Him. 
Presidents admire Him.
Atheists ignore Him. 
Children are attracted to Him. 
Scientists can’t disqualify Him.
Historians can’t erase Him.
Angels bow down to Him.

No boundaries can measure His infinite love.

His love is powerful.
His mercies are new every morning.

If there is a need, He supplies it.
If there is a wound, He cures it.
If there is a doubt, He destroys it.
If you are lonely, He will be with you.
If there is pain, He relates to you.
If there is brokenness, He will mend you.
If you are a sinner, He will save you.
If you are lost, He will find you.
If you are prideful, He will humble you.
If you are humble, He will exalt you.
If you are young, He will watch over you.
If you are old, He will assist you.
If you weep, He will weep with you.
If you are diligent, He will reward you.

When you laugh, He will laugh with you.

He comforts when we are in mourning.
He gives strength to the weak.
He saves sinners.
He heals the sick.
He feeds the hungry.
He encourages the discouraged.
He restores sight to the blind.
He heals lepers.
He frees the captives.
He is all knowing, all powerful, all mighty, and self-sufficient.
He is all seeing.
He is all hearing.
He is the greatest miracle in all of history.
He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

This is who Jesus is.  Don’t you want to know Him?

Spiritual Inventory

This was taken from a wonderful magazine called “Israel My Glory” produced by The Friends of Israel, which communicates biblical truth about Israel and the Messiah, while fostering solidarity with the Jewish people.

Are you discouraged and feeling depressed because of personal or world events?

Maybe it’s time to take a little spiritual inventory. 

If you have truly been born again through faith in Jesus Christ, you have a lot of things to look forward to. 

Here are only 10 of them.  So as you persevere, remember who holds your hand and that He has promised,

“No eye has seen,

   no ear has heard,

no mind has conceived

            what God has prepared for those who love him…”

1 Cor. 2:9

1. You will receive a new body.

1 Cor. 15:52 - “in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.  For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.”

2. You will get a custom dwelling place. Every house on Earth requires fixing, but the home He prepares for you will be perfect.

John 14:2-3 - “In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not

so, I would have told you.  I am going there to prepare a place for

you.”

3. You will be like Christ, so you will be unable to sin.

1 John 3:2 - “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known.  But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.”

4. You will get to know Bible saints, such as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Matt. 8:11 - “I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.”

5. You will see and speak to loved ones who died in the faith.

1 Thess. 4:13-17 - “Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope.  We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.  According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.  For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.  After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.  And so we will be with the Lord forever.”

6. You will live in a perfect world. What lies ahead is so much better that what exists today.

Rev 21 - “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away …..”

7. You will never again suffer heartache, pain, death, broken relationships, or the like –

1 Cor. 15:26 -“The last enemy to be destroyed is death.”

Rev 7:16-17 - “Never again will they hunger; never again will they

thirst.  The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat.  For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water.  And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”  

8. You will fall for the final time. But rather than falling short, you will fall on your knees in praise.

Rom. 7:15-25 & Phil. 2:10 – “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,”

9. You will participate in awesome worship.

Rev. 5:11 – “Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand.  They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders.”

Rev. 7:11-12 – “All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures.  They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: ‘Amen!  Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever.  Amen!’ “

10. You will see God!!

Job 19:26 – “And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God;”

1 John 3:2 – “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known.  But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.”

Where to find it in the Bible

I have been asked several times where to find different things in the Bible.  I compiled this list (although it is not complete) that might helpful.

Abortion

Ps. 139:13-16 – “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.  My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place.  When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body.  All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”

Jer. 1:5 – “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

Acts 17:26 – “From one man he made every nation of men that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.”

Armor of God

Eph. 6:11-18

Assurance of Salvation

John 5:24; 6:37; 10:27-30; 20-31, Rom. 8:16, 31, 35-39; Heb. 13:5; 1 John 5:11-12

Battle of Armageddon

Rev. 14:14-20; 16:16

Beatitudes

Matt. 5:3-12; Luke 6:20-26

Bible Author

2 Tim. 3:14-16 – “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

2 Peter 1:20-21 – “Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophets own interpretation.  For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”

Creation

Gen. 1-2 – “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth….”

Col. 1:16 – “For by Him all things were created; things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities, all things were created by Him and for Him.”

Dinosaurs

Job 40:15-24 – behemoth (dinosaurs), 41 leviathan (dinosaurs)

Divorce and Remarriage

Deuteronomy 24:1-4, Malachi 2:15-16, Matt. 5:31-32, Luke 16:18

Faith

Rom. 4:3; 10:17, Eph. 2:8-9, Heb. 11, Heb 11:1 – “Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”, 6; 12:2, James 1:3-6, 1 Peter 1:7

Fall of Man

Gen. 3

Fruit of the Spirit

Gal. 5:22-23 – “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”

Golden Rule

Matt. 7:12; Luke 6:31 – “Do to others as you would have them do to you.”

Hell or Lake of Fire

Daniel 12:2; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 2Thessalonians 1:7-7; Luke 16:24; Matthew 3:12; 5:22; 7:13; 8:12; 13:42, 50; 22:13; 25:46; 18:8-9; Mark 9:48; Luke 3:7, 17; 16:28; Romans 5:9; Revelation 14:11; 19:20; 20:10, 14-15; 21:8, 14

Homosexuality

Gen. 19:1-13; Lev. 18:22-30; 20:13; Romans 1:18-32 – “Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another.  They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator – who is forever praised. Amen.  Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts.  Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones.  In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another.  Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion…….” (v24-27). “Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.”(v32). Notice it says those who approve of those who practice such things also deserve death.

1 Cor. 6:9-11; 1 Timothy 1:8-11

Idolatry

Idolatry is anything you put before God.

Col. 3:5 – “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.”

Jesus is the only way

Acts 4:12; John 3:17; 18:24; 10:14-16; 14:6 – “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.’”; Rom. 10:9; Eph. 2:5

Jesus’ appearance after resurrection

Matt. 28; Luke 24; John 20-21; Mark 16; Acts; 1 Cor. 15

Lord’s Prayer

Matt. 6:9-15; Luke 11:1-13

Lord’s Supper

Matt. 26:26-29; Luke 22:19-20; 1 Cor. 11:23-26

Lose Salvation?

John 10::29; Rom 8:38-39; Heb 6:4-8; Eph 1:4; 1 John 5:13 – that you know you have eternal life

Love

John 3:16; 15:9-14; Rom. 5:8; 8:35-39; 1 Cor. 13 (known as the love chapter); 1 John 3:1

Man’s purpose on earth

God created us for His pleasure and our purpose is to glorify Him and have joy in Him and Him in us.  He loves us and He wants us to love Him back.

1 John 4:7-21

Marriage / Premarital Sex

Ex. 20:14; Lev. 20:10; Deu. 22:13-30; Job 31:1, 9-12; Prov. 5:1-23; 6:20-35; 7:1-27; Matt. 5:27-30; Eph 5:5-5; Heb. 13:4 – keep it pure, 1 Cor. 6:8; 1 Thess. 4:1-8; Rev. 21:8

Plan of Salvation

Isaiah 55:7; John 1:12; 3:3; 5:24; Rom. 10:9-10, 13; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5-7; 1 John 5:11-13; Revelation 3:20

Prayer

Ecc. 5:2; Jer. 29:13; Matt. 6:7; Luke 18:1; Rom. 8:26-27; Mark 11:24; James 5:16

Predestination/Chosen/Election

Romans 8:29-30; Eph. 1:3-6, 11; Acts 4:27-28; Matthew 22:1-14; 24:22, 24, 32; John 15:16;

Rev. 17:14

Rapture

1 Cor. 15:51-57; 1 Thess. 4:13-18

Return of Christ

Luke 21:34-36; Acts 1:11; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Titus 2:13; 2 Peter 3:8-14; 1 John 3:2-3

Satan’s fall

Isaiah 14:12-15

Saved by grace

Grace is unmerited favor.

Ephesians 2:4-5, 8 – “For it is by grace you have been saved.”

Second Death

Revelation 21:8 – “But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars – their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur.  This is the second death.”

Sovereignty of God

Psalm 103:19; Daniel 4:34-35; Isaiah 40:23; 46:8-11; Romans 10:36

God is:

Omniscient – all knowing, total knowledge

Omnipotent – all powerful

Omnipresence – everywhere present

Immutable – unchangeable

Infinitely holy and righteous

Spiritual Gifts

Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:1-14; 40, Eph. 4:11-12; 1 Peter 4:10

Tattoos

Leviticus 19:28 – “Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves.  I am the Lord.”

Temptation

1 Corinthians 10:13 - God will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear, but when tempted He will provide a way out for you.

Ten Commandments

Exodus 20:1-26

Testing

Exodus 20:20; Judges 2:21; 1 Peter 1:7

Tribulation Period

Daniel 9:24-27; Revelation 11:2-3; 13:5 – The tribulation period will be 42 months.

Troubles/Suffering

2 Corinthians 4:17 – We should be happy, our troubles are achieving our eternal Glory

2 Corinthians 1:8-11, 12:7-10 – So we will rely on God

1 Thessalonians 3:3 – Trials are God’s plan

James 1:2-4 – So we will be mature

5 reasons God allows suffering –

1.      A Common thing – Job 5:7

2.     Corrective – Ps 119:67

3.     To glorify Christ – John 9:13

4.     Cosmic – Job 1-2

5.     Constructive – Rom 5:3-4

Why did Jesus do miracles?

John 2:11, 11:40 – To reveal His glory

Will Christians be judged?

Romans 8:1 – “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Witchcraft

Exodus 22:18; Deu. 18:10; Micah 5:12; Malachi 3:5; Gal. 5:20; Rev. 21:8; 22:5

Worry

Matthew. 6:25; Psalm 34:10; Phil. 4:19 – God will provide