Day 3 - Week 82 - Matthew 18:16 "Then Jesus came near and said to them, 'All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.'"

Who do you view as your authority figure?  Your boss?  Your parents?  Your teachers?  Government officials?  Judges? 

All of these are definitely authorities in our lives.  But who is your ultimate authority?  If it is anyone other than Jesus, the Son of God, you have misidentified your commander in chief.  For Jesus has been given ALL authority, not only over our earthly lives, but also over our eternal lives. 

Consider these verses...

Matthew 10:32  "Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven."

Matthew 15:16-17  " 'But what about you?'  he asked. 'Who do you say I am?'  Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."   Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah..."

John 20:31  "But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name."

1 John 5:5  "Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God."

Surrendering to the fact that Jesus is the authority over our lives is the faith step that takes us from mortality to immortality.  Here it is that we begin our "rebirth" into the realization that we were made for something more than this earth alone, we were designed for eternity, and Jesus is ready to begin to open our eyes to all of His truth.

When we recognize Jesus' authority over us, His Spirit comes to live within us.  His Spirit is now ready to teach us because we have put ourselves in a position of submission to His will over us.  Until this happens, the Holy Spirit will not force Himself upon us as unwilling participants.  We have to submit with our hearts to the authority of Christ.  

ALL authority has been given to Him...in heaven, on earth.  ALL will eventually acknowledge Him as King....

Philippians 2:9-11  "Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

 

Get all excited go tell everybody that Jesus Christ is king!
I said get all excited go tell everybody that Jesus Christ is king!
Get all excited go tell everybody that Jesus Christ is king..
Jesus Christ is still the king of kings!

Let's get excited about our King...when we do, the Great Commission becomes our natural commission.  When we are excited about our news, we will be excited about sharing this wonderful, good news.  We have a great King and He is over all!   If we aren't excited, we should be...if we aren't excited, Holy Spirit please revive us to a spirit of excitement...light Your fire within us!

Hallelujah, Thine the glory...Hallelujah, Amen.  Hallelujah, Thine the glory, Revive us Again!
 

Day 2 - Week 82 - Matthew 28:17 "Then Jesus came near and said to them, "All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth."

"The Great Commission is not an option to be considered; it is a command to be obeyed." ~ Hudson Taylor.

Many of you will know who Hudson Taylor was, but many of you may not.  Hudson Taylor was the great evangelist to the Chinese.  He was born in 1832 and went to his heavenly home in 1905.  Hudson Taylor took the Great Commission seriously, spending 51 years of his life in China, spreading the gospel.  If it were not for Hudson Taylor's passion for spreading the Word of God, the church would likely not have a presence in communist China.  But because of the seeds he planted long ago, there remain faithful Chinese Christians...many of whom have been persecuted and imprisoned for their faith. 

Listen to the true zeal of Hudson Taylor's words... "If I had a thousand pounds, China should have it—if I had a thousand lives, China should have them. No! Not China, but Christ. Can we do too much for Him? Can we do enough for such a precious Saviour?"

That's the kind of zeal we should have...to carry in our hearts the impetus that Taylor carried, knowing that even though we can never do enough for such a precious Savior, we will give everything we have to show Him our gratitude.  And since Jesus' parting words to His followers were the commission to take the message of His love and forgiveness to the world, that is what He wants most from us as His followers of today as well.  It is the one thing that we can do that truly shows Him that we have listened to His words, that we have accepted His call, and just like His disciples, we are responding to His request to follow Him. 

Jesus, through His obedience to the cross and through His resurrection from the dead, declares His authority in heaven and on earth.  He is in the glorified position of authority, with everything and everyone under His command.  We either respond in submission or rebellion.  If we have claimed Him as our Savior, why would we want to do anything other than what He asks of us? 

Then why aren't we?  I know that many of us will say that we are not gifted evangelists.  Jesus didn't seem to give anyone an exemption, did He?  We are all called to share our faith...to go and make disciples. 

 

"Go tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere...go tell it on the mountain,

that Jesus Christ is born!"

 

Day 1 - Week 82 - On to the Great Commission!

We finished up our twelve verses of faith, and now we embark on the next leg of our journey.  It's a short leg - just four verses - all centered on the commission that Jesus gave to all who follow Him in faith to spread the gospel throughout the world.   I don't know about you, but I am feeling a greater compulsion than in the past to speak of my faith.  Maybe it is a part of getting older and not being as concerned about what people may think of you, and maybe it is growing in conviction of faith and realizing the urgency of letting people know that there is reason for hope, and that reason is named Jesus. 

What holds us back from sharing our faith?  Fear?  Fear of what?  Disapproval?  Well, would we rather have the disapproval of people or of our God?  Jesus has commissioned us to spread the Word...it is our job as His followers.  How are we doing?  How am I doing?  I know I have missed many opportunities, and that makes me very sad and it also makes me more determined not to miss future opportunities.  So maybe I'll become known as a "Jesus Freak."  I hope so!  Reminds me of the dc Talk song....

What will people think
When they hear that I'm a Jesus freak
What will people do when they find that it's true
I don't really care if they label me a Jesus freak
There ain't no disguising the truth

 

Let's throw away our fear and let's get bold in our witness.  Time is running out for someone you know, for someone I know.  Let's not miss the opportunities we are given...we have no assurances that we will have others.

 

We'll drop off the sections of verses on the Holy Spirit and on Joy to make room for our verses on The Great Commission:

Faith: Trusting God and Resting in His Word (12)
Ephesians 2:8 "For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God's gift."
Ephesians 2:9 "Not by works, so that no one can boast."
Ephesians 2:10 "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."
Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ; and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."
Colossians 3:15 "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful."
Colossians 3:16 "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns
 and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God."
Colossians 3:17 "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."
Romans 1:16 "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is God's power for salvation to everyone who believe, to the Jew first and also to the Greek."
Romans 1:17 "For in it God's righteousness is revealed from faith to faith, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith."
Psalm 56:3 "When I am afraid, I will trust in You."
2 Chronicles 16:9 "The eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him."
Hebrews 11:6  "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."

The Great Commission

Matthew 28:18  "Then Jesus came near and said to them, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth."

I can hear you saying, "That does not sound like a verse on spreading the Word to the world to me."  Well before someone accepts a commission, they need to know that the person sending them out on the mission to be accomplished has the authority to do so.  We need to be confident that Jesus is the One with the authority to send us forward.  When we have that confidence, we will not hesitate to do what He asks of us.  He is our commanding officer...we are His foot soldiers!  Let's march!

Day 3 - Week 81 - Hebrews 11:6 "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."

"Here are four reasons faith is necessary for pleasing God.

1. Faith brings salvation to our lives.  As we've seen in previous verses, we are saved by grace through faith.
2. Faith brings motivation to our work. The main theme of Hebrews 11 is that faith leads us to do things for God we would never otherwise do.  It motivates, fuels, and drives our labor.  The very next verse (v. 7) tells how Noah, by faith, built an ark to save his family.
3. Faith brings rest to our souls.  When we're temped to fret and fear, we discover that God has given us multiple promises and assurances for every contingency in life.
4. Faith brings excitement to our future.  We look forward by faith to a city whose builder and maker is God (vv 10, 16)."

                                  From 100 Bible Verses Everyone Should Know by Heart, by Robert. J. Morgan

Our faith pleases God, and without faith we cannot please Him.  Our faith shows that we have come to the conclusion that God does, indeed, exist.  If we didn't believe God existed, we would not be coming to Him, would we? 

I think it is very pleasing to God when he sees one who has been trying to figure life out, trying to figure out who is in control, to finally come to Him in belief, no matter the road that they have taken to get to that point.  In fact, I think sometimes the longer, the more twisted the road that brings someone to the acknowledgement of God's existence, the greater the pleasure God has in their arrival.

It brings to mind the verses in Deuteronomy 4:27-29, "And the Lord will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations where the Lord will drive you.  And there you will serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell.  But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul."

Whoever you are, wherever you are, God is asking you to seek Him...to sincerely and honestly seek Him.  When you do that, you will find Him, you will believe that He exists, you will have found faith.  And He will be pleased.

 

Day 2 - Week 81 - Hebrews 11:6 "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."

"Without faith it is impossible to please God..."

What is foundational to a life that is pleasing to God?  Faith.  Faith is where we start.  Faith as small as a mustard seed, but faith just the same.  Faith that says, "I believe, help my unbelief."  And faith as exhibited through those mentioned earlier in Hebrews 11: Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sara, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Rahab, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, and Samuel.  If you want to know what lives of faith look like, go back and read their stories.  Were these people perfect?  Were they infallible? Nope - they all led lives that contained moments of weakness and rebellion.  But they  all looked to God through eyes of faith in Him.

Where are we tonight?  In the United States we are watching election results.  The race is so tight that no matter who you voted for, you cannot be assured of a victory.  But in whom are you placing your trust?  Where is your faith?

If your faith is grounded in any one person, if your faith is grounded in any human plan or device, you have no assurances for your future.  For any person can prove untrustworthy, any human plan can prove absolutely fallible.  There is no one who can give you the ultimate confidence that your future is secure.

But if your faith is in the Creator of the Universe, if your faith is in the One who is the Alpha and the Omega, who knows the beginning, the present and the future, then you can persevere through uncertain times, because your faith is placed in the One who is certain.

Rejoice in your faith...He is in control, He has always been, He always will be.



 

Day 1 - Week 81 - Let's look around and see where we are!

Here we are, starting our 81st week of our journey.  We haven't tracked our progress along the Appalachian Trail in quite some time.  Have any idea where we are? 

Well, with 80% of the trip behind us, we are passing through Vermont, just about to cross over into New Hampshire.  We have been hiking through the Green Mountains of Vermont, aptly named, don't you think?  Beautiful, beautiful pictures of nature...never forgetting the Creator behind these pictures!

Yes, the northeast is a beautiful place, just as so many of the places we have come through.  And God's Word is full of beautiful places...we have travelled through so many beautiful places of His Word, places of promise and places of assurance, places that encourage us and places that comfort us.  This week we'll add our last verse in our 12-verse section of "FAITH" verses.  Faith - the intangible that makes all the difference in our life---the difference that makes all the places we travel through, places of beauty.

Let's review and then let's add one more verse of faith....

The Holy Spirit's Role in our Lives (6)
Ephesians 5:18 "And don't get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless actions, but be filled with the Spirit."
Ephesians 5:19 "Speaking to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making music in to the Lord in your hearts."
Ephesians 5:20 "Giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Ephesians 5:21 "Submitting to one another in the fear of Christ."
Galatians 5:22 "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control."
2 Timothy 1:14 "Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you...guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us."

Joy: God's Kind of Happiness (12)
Psalm 118:24 "This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."
Philippians 4:4 "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!"
Philippians 4:5 "Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near."
Philippians 4:6 "Do not worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God."
Philippians 4:7 "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
Romans 15:13 "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope through the power of the Holy Spirit."
James 1:2 "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds."
James 1:3-4 "Knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. But endurance must do its complete work, so that you will be mature and complete, lacking nothing."
1 Thessalonians 5:16 "Rejoice always."
1 Thessalonians 5:17 "Pray constantly."
1 Thessalonians 5:18 "Give thanks in everything, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."


Faith: Trusting God and Resting in His Word (12)
Ephesians 2:8 "For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God's gift."
Ephesians 2:9 "Not by works, so that no one can boast."
Ephesians 2:10 "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."
Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ; and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."
Colossians 3:15 "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful."
Colossians 3:16 "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God."
Colossians 3:17 "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."
Romans 1:16 "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is God's power for salvation to everyone who believe, to the Jew first and also to the Greek."
Romans 1:17 "For in it God's righteousness is revealed from faith to faith, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith."
Psalm 56:3 "When I am afraid, I will trust in You."
2 Chronicles 16:9 "The eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him."

Our final "FAITH" verse is a great one, it is so basic, and yet speaks volumes.  Let it settle in to your heart, and explore it with me this week.


Hebrews 11:6
"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."

 

Day 4 - Week 80 - 2 Chronicles 16:9 "For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him."

Our age of modern technology allows us some wonderful things...as well as some not so wonderful things!  But, like many of you probably, I get some daily Bible verses via e-mail, or messages via Facebook, that bring God's Word, or good thoughts to me throughout my day.

 

Yesterday, my Facebook had a "God Message" for me...and these particular messages are always prefaced with, "On this day of your life, Janice, we believe God wants you to know..."

 

Now, I really don't believe that wherever this post originates from receives a specific message from God to direct specifically to me.  But some days, it is strange how applicable they are to where I am and what I am going through at the time.  (More than likely, everyone who reads these thoughts feels the same way!)

 

But yesterday's "message from God" was,

 

"Faith is not necessary when you know how things are going to work out, - that's knowledge. It's in the time of unknowing that having faith is what sees you through to the other side. Faith is what gives you strength. Faith is that light in your heart that keeps on shining even when it's all darkness outside. Now is the time to keep that faith alive!"

 

That's a great definition of faith and it was the affirmation of faith that I needed...to be reminded that I don't have to know how things are going to work out, I have faith in my God that He will work them out; that He will get us through to the other side; that He is my strength; and that He is the light that shines in my life no matter how dark my surroundings may be.

 

I praise God that He, through His Holy Spirit, keeps faith alive in me...I will praise Him all the days of my life.  He is faithful, even when I am unfaithful (2 Timothy 2:13), He never leaves me nor forsakes me (Hebrews 13:5), and I will rely on Him.