Questions of Jesus - 5

26. On Signs

Mark 8:12
But He sighed deeply in His spirit, and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Assuredly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation.”

27. On Ability

Mark 10:38
But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?”

John 18:11
So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into the sheath. Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me?”

28. On Faith

Luke 8:25
But He said to them, “Where is your faith?”
  And they were afraid, and marveled, saying to one another, “Who can this be? For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey

29. On How

John 3:12
If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?

30. On How Much More

Luke 11:13
If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”

31. On Business

Luke 2:49
And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father's business?”

32. On Weeping

John 20:15
Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?”
  She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away.”

[Message No: 6635]

Besides Still Waters - 36

Grow Up In All Things

Ephesians 4:15
But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ

Members of His Body

Ephesians 5:30
For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.

Strong In The Lord

Ephesians 6:10
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

Able to Withstand

Ephesians 6:13
Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Praying Always

Ephesians 6:18
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints

Confident Of This

Philippians 1:6
Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

The Peace of God

Philippians 4:7
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through 
Christ Jesus.

God Shall Supply

Philippians 4:19
But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

[Message No: 6634]

How to do God’s Ministry?

1. By following – John 12:26

If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.

2. Do for the Lord – Colossians 3:23

And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men,

3. With great  humility – Acts 20:19

serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears and trials which happened to me by the plotting of the Jews;

4. With our means – Luke 8:3

and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others who provided for Him from their substance.

5. Through God’s Mercy – 2 Corinthians 4:1

Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart

6. With Spiritual Fervour – Romans 12:11

not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;

7. By being  wise – Romans 14:16

Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil;

Romans 14:18
For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men.

8. By the Lord’s Assignment – 1 Corinthians 3:5

Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one?

9. In the newness of Spirit – Romans 7:6

But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.

[Message No: 6633]

Facts about God’s Work

1. Salvation is not by good works –

Ephesians 2:9
not of works, lest anyone should boast.

2. We are created for it –

Ephesians 2:10
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

3. God has prepared it in advance –

 Ephesians 2:10
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

4. We do it as there is opportunity –

Galatians 6:10
Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.

5. We bear fruit in it –

Colossians 1:10
Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.

6. It is appropriate for women –

1 Timothy 2:10
but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works.

7. It should lead to Praise God –

Matthew 6:16 “Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward

[Message No: 6632]

What Matters Most?

As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.

A Place To Belong

Romans 12:5
So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.

Lord, take me deeper in Your Mind

James 1:25
But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Psalm 1:1-3

Blessed is the man

 Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
 Nor stands in the path of sinners,
 Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
  But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
 And in His law he meditates day and night.
  He shall be like a tree
 Planted by the rivers of water,
 That brings forth its fruit in its season,
 Whose leaf also shall not wither;

1 John 2:5
But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.

[Message No: 6331]

The fact and manners of the Rapture

1 Corinthians 15:23

For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in
his own order: Christ the first fruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His coming.

1 Corinthians 15:51-58

Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on in corruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on in corruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”

  “O Death, where is your sting?
 O Hades, where is your victory?”
    The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
   Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowin
g that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

1 Thessalians 2:19

For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?

1 Thessalians 3:13

Now may our God and Father Himself, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way to you. And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you, so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.

1 Thessalians 4:13-17

But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.

     For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.

1 Thessalians 5:23

Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

[Message No: 6630]

Questions of Jesus - 4

21. On Believing

John 1:50
Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these

John 8:46
Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me?

John 9:35
Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him, He said to him, “Do you believe in the Son of God?”

John 11:26
And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

John 16:31
Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe?

22. On Lacking

Luke 22:35
And He said to them, “When I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?”

  So they said, “Nothing.”

23. On Reward

Matthew 5:46
For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

24. On Understanding

Matthew 13:51
Jesus said to them, “Have you understood all these things?”
  They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.”

Matthew 15:17
Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated?

25. On a Name

Mark 5:9
Then He asked him, “What is your name?”
  And he answered, saying, “My name is Legion; for we are many.”

[Message No: 6629]

Displaying the Faith

“For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” – Galatians 5:6

Ever notice how we get to fussing about things that are important, but still aren't the most important things of our faith. So often when we get to fighting the most important thing of all gets lost. In the first century, this fight often had to do with Jew/Gentile issues.

While race, culture, and heritage are important, what really is most important is showing to the world that we can value cultural diversity in each other and still find our unity in Christ. In our high tech world today, isn't it interesting that the most important issue is the same as it was two thousand years ago — faith displaying itself in loving action.

In the Middle

I don't know about you, but I find myself "in the middle"! I'm in the middle of trying to help people overcome problems in their lives. I'm in the middle of trying to figure things out for myself. I'm in the middle of ministry opportunities in the lives of people looking for Jesus. The Holy Spirit has placed me in the middle of all of this. At the same time, I'm deeply convicted that the Holy Spirit wants to put me in the middle of God's work in the world. Unfortunately, I don't always follow the Spirit's leading.

How about you? Sometimes our failure to follow is because of sin. Sometimes it is because of rebellion in our hearts when we are like Jonah and simply don't want to go. Sometimes it's because we don't believe the Spirit would take us out of one place and put us in another to do the work of God. These problems come from the devil's deception when he says that God doesn't work in our lives today as he did in the days the Bible was being written.

So I want to challenge each of us to ask God to reveal what is keeping us from letting the Spirit put us in the middle of God's work. Then, let's commit to being where God wants us to be!

Thoughts

 "Kindness is in our power, even when fondness is not." - Samuel Johnson

"It is a sure mark of grace to desire more." - Robert Murray M'Cheyne

"Here lies the tremendous mystery - that God should be all-powerful, yet refuse to coerce. He summons us to cooperation. We are honoured in being given the opportunity to participate in his good deeds. Remember how He asked for help in performing his miracles: Fill the water pots, stretch out your hand, distribute the loaves." - Elisabeth Elliot

[Message No: 6628]