Erhalten Sie Zugang zu diesem und mehr als 300000 Büchern ab EUR 5,99 monatlich.
- Herausgeber: BroadStreet Publishing Group, LLC
- Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
- Sprache: Englisch
- Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2019
ECPA Bronze Milestone Sales Award for more than 100,000 sold. Let the words of Jesus speak to you each day. If anything in this life deserves our undivided attention, it's the powerful words of Jesus. Jesus in Red is a daily devotional, including: - Jesus' words highlighted in red - short meditations - soul-searching questions - inspiring prayers Experience God's peace and presence as you reflect on the awe-inspiring teachings of Christ.
Sie lesen das E-Book in den Legimi-Apps auf:
Seitenzahl: 435
Das E-Book (TTS) können Sie hören im Abo „Legimi Premium” in Legimi-Apps auf:
Ähnliche
BroadStreet Publishing® Group, LLC
Savage, Minnesota, USA
BroadStreetPublishing.com
JESUS IN RED: 365 Meditations on the Words of Jesus
Copyright © 2019 Ray Comfort
978-1-4245-5884-1 (faux leather)
978-1-4245-5885-8 (e-book)
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Unless indicated otherwise, all Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked AMP are taken from the Amplified Bible. Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.
Italics in Scripture quotations are added by the author for the sake of emphasis.
Stock or custom editions of BroadStreet Publishing titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, ministry, fund-raising, or sales promotional use. For information, please email [email protected].
Cover and interior by Garborg Design at GarborgDesign.com
Printed in China
19 20 21 22 23 5 4 3 2 1
Behind the Red Letters
Jesus in Red is a strange name for a devotional, but there’s a good reason for this title. The color red alarms us and grabs our attention. God saw fit to give every nation red blood, and when we see human blood, it intuitively sets off alarm bells.
We’ve taken the divine cue and made our stop signs red. Authorities want to tell approaching drivers that the sign is more than important. They are saying, “Take notice here, or you could be killed!” Red fire engines, red emergency exits, and red fire extinguishers communicate that same vital message.
The words of Jesus in this devotional are in red. They speak of our eternity—how we must be born again, how the day will come when all who are in their graves will hear His voice, and how His words are spirit and life.
But having the words of Jesus in red is nothing new. What is unique about this devotional is that each day’s devotion looks only at His words. For example, John 4:32 says, “But He said to them, ‘I have food to eat of which you do not know.’” Instead of the full verse, I simply state, “I have food to eat of which you do not know.”
In this devotional, His words are isolated in red and without quotation marks, so you can focus on what He said without restriction or distraction. While it would be unwise to take the words of any normal human being out of context, Jesus is no normal human being. The focus is only momentary. And as you will see, I encourage reading them in context as part of the devotional exercise.
I am an unashamed dog-lover. When I meet small dogs, I almost always go low. I bend down. This isn’t just because smaller dogs feel less threatened when we go down to their level, but because I know that my own dog loves me getting down on the floor and going eye to eye with him. I get up close and personal and whisper key words: “We rode the bike today and saw a cat, didn’t we? We also saw a dog, but we didn’t see any squirrels.” As I say those key words, I can see his eyes processing the information. He is remembering our time together. It is an intimate time, and we both love it.
In Christ, God came low so that we could go eye to eye with Him. The Gospels contain Jesus’ key words so we can process them and glean more about God and his ways and how he sees us.
In Scripture, we see why God came low: “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone” (Hebrews 2:9).
He came low to suffer and die, and in doing so, He not only opened wide the door of everlasting life, but He also proved His great love for vile sinners like us, so His precious words take on an even greater meaning.
When officers were sent to arrest Him, they came back empty-handed saying, “No man ever spoke like this Man!” (John 7:46). No human being in history ever said anything remotely similar to the things Jesus said. His words are absolutely alarming, and if anything in this short life should get our undivided attention, it’s the words of Jesus of Nazareth.
As you read this devotional, I suggest that you not only read Jesus’ words deliberately, but that you also carefully consider how you can take these words into your everyday life. Read them straight out of the Bible along with the verses before and after, so you can better understand why He said the powerful words that He did.
Do you try to feed your stomach daily? Of course not. You just do it because it comes naturally every day of your life. If you are having friends over during dinnertime, would you feed them your food? Or would you have them watch you eat it? You would invite them to eat with you! God Himself gives humanity a universal invitation to dine with Him through the gospel:
“Ho! Everyone who thirsts,
Come to the waters;
And you who have no money,
Come, buy and eat.
Yes, come, buy wine and milk
Without money and without price.”
(Isaiah 55:1)
We are commanded to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. As you read this book throughout the year, my prayer is that with each day you grow hungrier for God’s Word. And as your hunger and desire to get into His Word increases, I pray you will anticipate spreading the good news to those around you. We can look the other way, stay busy, keep our heads down, and just check our devotionals off the to-do lists. But as you read, study, meditate, and etch the words Jesus spoke onto your heart, I pray you won’t be able to hold back from saving the unsaved. Like a firefighter runs into a burning building, it is my prayer that you will want to run after all the lost and save them from the darkness of hell.
May this small devotional be a big step in prioritizing God’s Word in your everyday life. And may the isolation of Jesus’ words further open the eyes of your understanding and create a desire in your heart to share them like you never have before.
CONTENTS
January
January 1 A Good Jewish Boy
January 2 The Cool, Inviting Door
January 3 A Shocking Thought
January 4 Tempted to Jump
January 5 How Could We Not Follow?
January 6 A Divine Invitation
January 7 The Use of the Trumpet
January 8 Every Individual Hair
January 9 The Greatest Revelation
January 10 Under the Tree
January 11 The Only Ladder
January 12 The Symbol of Life
January 13 Do Whatever He Says
January 14 The Holy Whip
January 15 Study and Search
January 16 The New Birth
January 17 Natural Birth
January 18 The Invisible Wind
January 19 The Great Teacher
January 20 Carry Some Salt
January 21 The Biting Serpents
January 22 Cereal and Milk
January 23 Diagnosis First
January 24 Somebody Loves Me
January 25 Condemned Already
January 26 The Real Reason
January 27 The Freeway Chase
January 28 Being Wise
January 29 Thirsting Horses
January 30 Lasting Happiness
January 31 He Sees All
February
February 1 The Power of Believing
February 2 The Life Source
February 3 Greatest Treasure
February 4 Divine Priority
February 5 Our Food
February 6 God Grew the Tree
February 7 The Inference of Faith
February 8 Unprecedented Savior
February 9 Pretty Ugly
February 10 The Virtue of Contrition
February 11 Dark Prison
February 12 Another Blindness
February 13 His Gentle Hand
February 14 Resting from Work
February 15 The Light of the Word
February 16 The Special Coat
February 17 The Weather Department
February 18 Remembering the Widow
February 19 Senseless Washing
February 20 The New Kingdom
February 21 The Purpose of the Incarnation
February 22 No Other Name
February 23 Launch Out and Let Down
February 24 From Now On
February 25 Full of Leprosy
February 26 A Testimony to Them
February 27 Both Were Impossible
February 28 The Great Letdown
March
March 1 Boundless Faith
March 2 Collecting Money
March 3 Only the Sick
March 4 Our Choice
March 5 God is Working
March 6 Overwhelming Thoughts
March 7 Those Dry Bones
March 8 The Preacher
March 9 Legitimate Pleasures
March 10 Don’t be Impressed
March 11 Helpless without Him
March 12 The Brilliant Light
March 13 The Lighthouse
March 14 Living Hope
March 15 The Fear of the Lord
March 16 Simple Faith
March 17 The Missed Tree
March 18 Honoring the Truth
March 19 The Honor of Men
March 20 Ten Cannons
March 21 Worldly Accusations
March 22 Common Sense
March 23 Rise Up in the Midst
March 24 Blessed Poor
March 25 Spiritual Hunger
March 26 The State of Contrition
March 27 Remember to Leap
March 28 The Desire to Be Rich
March 29 Spiritual Hunger
March 30 The Joy of Laughter
March 31 The Smile of Man
April
April 1 Loving Enemies
April 2 Evident Token
April 3 Let God Handle It
April 4 Give to Everyone
April 5 The Rule of Thumb
April 6 Love … No Matter What
April 7 Personal Rights
April 8 The Power of Mercy
April 9 Judge Not
April 10 A Giving Heart
April 11 Learning of the Savior
April 12 The Plank
April 13 Black Kettles
April 14 Locker Room Talk
April 15 God’s Will and Ours
April 16 Wise Building
April 17 Watch for the Curveball
April 18 Faith Pleases God
April 19 We Don’t React Like This World
April 20 Nowhere Else to Go
April 21 The Nature of Repentance
April 22 True Justice
April 23 No Longer Called Sin
April 24 As Little Children
April 25 One of the Biggest
April 26 Roses and Thorns
April 27 Tell the Things
April 28 His Name
April 29 Be the Same
April 30 More Than a Prophet
May
May 1 Mountain Movers
May 2 The Greatest Prophet
May 3 Childish Children
May 4 Overzealous Ref
May 5 To the Pure
May 6 Those Who Love Much
May 7 The Sacrifices of God
May 8 Great Mercy
May 9 The Done Deal
May 10 Peace with God
May 11 The Seed of a Woman
May 12 Heart of Stone
May 13 Useless Weeds
May 14 True and False
May 15 The Mystery
May 16 The Life-Giving Seed
May 17 The Reason
May 18 Things That Accompany Salvation
May 19 Sobering Responsibility
May 20 Dirty Old Dirt
May 21 Genuine and False
May 22 Love of Justice
May 23 Within the Church
May 24 Let Them See
May 25 They Are Ready
May 26 Labor Shortage
May 27 The Name of Jesus
May 28 The Local Attraction
May 29 Violent Sinners
May 30 Childlike Faith
May 31 Just Do It
June
June 1 It Will Happen
June 2 Face It with Faith
June 3 Natural Concern
June 4 Texas Thunder
June 5 Our Unworthy Worth
June 6 The Fullness of God
June 7 Unconditional Invitation
June 8 The Weight of Fear
June 9 Delivered from Death
June 10 In His Hand
June 11 Our Needs Will Be Supplied
June 12 Even the Dust
June 13 Be of Good Cheer
June 14 Walking on Water
June 15 Godly Priorities
June 16 The Work of God
June 17 Thank the Teacher
June 18 The End of Religion
June 19 The Power of Rejection
June 20 Do We See Him?
June 21 Murmuring and Complaining
June 22 Our Earnest Prayer
June 23 The Foundation
June 24 The Mother of Knowledge
June 25 Tasting the Goodness of God
June 26 Taking Communion
June 27 The Fogged Mirror
June 28 Spotting Guilt
June 29 Out of the Mouth
June 30 Blind Leaders
July
July 1 Take Hold of Understanding
July 2 The Law is Spiritual
July 3 The Advantage
July 4 Crumbs of the Bread of Life
July 5 Make Him Marvel
July 6 The Hidden Enemy
July 7 Be Opened
July 8 Entering into Suffering
July 9 The Good Seed
July 10 The Sign of Jonah
July 11 Puffed with Pride
July 12 Leaven
July 13 Taking the Initiative
July 14 The Wisdom of God
July 15 Who is He?
July 16 Who is He to You?
July 17 The Suffering Savior
July 18 Self-Denial
July 19 Letting Go and Holding On
July 20 Profit or Loss
July 21 His Offensive Words
July 22 The Coming Kingdom
July 23 Remove Hindrances
July 24 Perverse Generation
July 25 Preparing Fish
July 26 Dull of Hearing
July 27 Children are People Too
July 28 Birds of a Feather
July 29 Sons of Wrath
July 30 Mercy There was Great
July 31 The Gauntlet
August
August 1 Lawbreakers
August 2 Marvelous Work
August 3 How to Judge
August 4 The Fear of the Lord
August 5 Known Future
August 6 The Required Thirst
August 7 Written with His Finger
August 8 Sin No More
August 9 The Light of the World
August 10 The Appointment
August 11 True and Faithful Witness
August 12 Jesus Is God
August 13 Dying to Sin
August 14 Two Kingdoms
August 15 The Enduring Love
August 16 The Revelation of the Cross
August 17 Daily Food
August 18 Sin’s Partner
August 19 Their True Identity
August 20 An Eye on Eternity
August 21 The Future
August 22 The Truth in Love
August 23 Sinless Savior
August 24 The Life Source
August 25 The Honor of God
August 26 Claiming the Name
August 27 God’s Judgments
August 28 Come Back Seeing
August 29 Another Miracle
August 30 Blinding Pride
August 31 Many Trials
September
September 1 Follow Me
September 2 The Father’s Priority
September 3 Examine Yourself
September 4 Special Prayer
September 5 True Converts
September 6 Our Priority
September 7 True Peace
September 8 Worthy of Wages
September 9 True Thanksgiving
September 10 The Irrelevant Cross
September 11 The Unclean
September 12 God’s Perfect Justice
September 13 Unearned Favor
September 14 The Fear of Man
September 15 Rejection
September 16 The Silliness of Conceit
September 17 Seeming Contradiction
September 18 The Object of Our Joy
September 19 Foolish Things
September 20 His Identity
September 21 Treasure beyond Words
September 22 The Treasure
September 23 What is Written?
September 24 Our Interpretation
September 25 Do This and You Shall Live
September 26 Passing By
September 27 The Selfish Gene
September 28 Life’s Busyness
September 29 Our Father
September 30 That Name
October
October 1 New World Coming
October 2 The Blessing of Bread
October 3 Escape the Corruption
October 4 Persistent Prayer
October 5 Prayer’s Qualifications
October 6 The Shadow
October 7 The Great Priority
October 8 The Power of God
October 9 The Strong Man
October 10 Gathering or Scattering?
October 11 Seven Other Spirits
October 12 The Blessed
October 13 The Sign
October 14 The Wisdom of Solomon
October 15 Swallowed by Fear
October 16 This Little Light
October 17 The Light of the Eye
October 18 Superficial Piety
October 19 The Motive
October 20 Woe to You
October 21 Our Legacy
October 22 Our Liberty
October 23 Deeds of Their Fathers
October 24 Nothing is Impossible
October 25 The Lost Key
October 26 Baking Powder
October 27 The Day
October 28 Fear God
October 29 Special Creation
October 30 The Universal Call
October 31 Rebellious Children
November
November 1 What We Ought to Say
November 2 The Will of God
November 3 Real Treasure
November 4 Trampled Underfoot
November 5 On Loan
November 6 The Soul
November 7 Worry and Trust
November 8 Check the Birds
November 9 Consider the Lilies
November 10 Total Surrender
November 11 God’s Good Pleasure
November 12 The Root of All Evil
November 13 The Lord of the Earth
November 14 Servants of Christ
November 15 Be Ready
November 16 Our Unanswered Questions
November 17 The Fertile Mind
November 18 Self-Examination
November 19 Our Responsibility
November 20 The Revelation
November 21 The Division
November 22 The Future
November 23 We are Near
November 24 Stay Clear of Trouble
November 25 The Problem of Evil
November 26 Amazing Grace
November 27 This Issue of Tragedies
November 28 Check Your Parachute
November 29 Delusional Sinners
November 30 We are Loosed
December
December 1 The Most Feared Word
December 2 Crooked Rulers
December 3 Eighteen Long Years
December 4 The Third Eye
December 5 The Heart of a Child
December 6 The Agonizing Birth
December 7 Knock, Knock
December 8 Followers of Jesus
December 9 To the Jew First
December 10 East from West
December 11 More Than a Conqueror
December 12 He has the Power
December 13 Stubborn Agenda
December 14 He Shall Not Fail
December 15 The Farmer and the Hen
December 16 Desolate House
December 17 Pride and Prejudice
December 18 Stay Low
December 19 Animal Rescue
December 20 The Bride
December 21 My Way
December 22 Humiliation
December 23 The Low Room
December 24 Giving to get Nothing
December 25 How to be Blessed
December 26 A Certain Man
December 27 The Work has Been Done
December 28 The Excuses
December 29 No Excuses
December 30 Go Quickly
December 31 Today, if You Hear His Voice
About the Author
JANUARY
JANUARY 1
A Good Jewish Boy
Why did you seek Me? Did you not know
that I must be about My Father’s business?
LUKE 2:49
These are the first recorded words of Jesus, and they show us that like any good Jewish son, He wanted to be involved in His Father’s business. But this wasn’t carpentry. This was the business of building the kingdom of God.
What if every twelve-year-old lived for the Father’s will? Many at that age are potential prodigals who are more interested in discovering the pleasures of the world.
We should all be about our Father’s business, and His business is to reach the world with the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ.
May you and I be like Jesus and say that today we must be about our Father’s business and seek and save that which is lost. His will is that sinners believe in His Son.
SOUL SEARCH
What can I do to remind myself to live today for heaven’s pleasure rather than for my own?
Father, may I be about your business today.
JANUARY 2
A Cool, Inviting Door
It is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word of God.”
LUKE 4:4
Jesus was tempted by the devil in the area of His appetite. That’s consoling because that is a constant battle for most of us. The devil whispers to us from the refrigerator, urging us to open the cool door and indulge. He wants us to forget about self-control and feed our faces without fear.
We must remember that God seeks only our good when He tells us to restrain the beast by pulling in the reigns of appetite. As Jesus did here, we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers and spiritual wickedness in high places. We must never forget that Satan came to kill, steal, and destroy, and overeating to a point of obesity is destructive. And so when we are tempted to overindulge, we need to imitate Jesus and close the door. Tight.
SOUL SEARCH
What measures am I going to take to make sure that I am in control of the reigns of my appetite today?
Father, never let it be said of me that my god is my belly.
JANUARY 3
A Shocking Thought
Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written,
“You shall worship the LORD your God,
and Him only you shall serve.”
LUKE 4:8
It’s shocking to think that Jesus was tempted to be a Satan worshiper. But He was tempted, and with that came a promise of power—from the Father of Lies. Just bow the knee. Even though Jesus was tempted, He stayed free from all sin. He resisted temptation.
We are tempted to bow the knee to Satan every time sin calls our name. Satan’s will for us is that we indulge in the flesh, whether it is through lust, greed, gossip, bitterness, hatred, selfishness, gluttony, pride, jealousy, and a host of other sins.
Once again Jesus used the Word of God to resist the Evil One. The Word is our authority, and it says that God is the only one that should be worshiped.
SOUL SEARCH
In what areas am I weak and open to temptation? And what am I doing to be ready to resist the devil?
Father, help me to be like Jesus today and never give my primary adoration to anyone or anything but you.
JANUARY 4
Tempted to Jump
It has been said, “You shall not tempt the LORD your God.”
LUKE 4:12
Satan tempted Jesus the third time by challenging him to jump from the pinnacle of the Temple. He even cited verses from the book of Psalms to sweeten up the temptation.
How tragic it is when someone obeys the whispers of the one who Jesus warned came to kill and destroy. In a moment, the heartbreaking act of suicide can occur when perhaps the problem could have been solved.
Notice the choice of words Jesus used. He said, “The Lord, your God.” Our Creator is everyone’s God because He made us all. But He is not our Lord until we yield to His Lordship, as unbelieving Thomas did when he fell to his knees and cried, “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28).
Whatever the case, if thoughts of self-destruction plague you, deal with them the way Jesus did. Remember that God created you for a purpose; yield to His Lordship, and then resist the enemy of your soul with the Word of God. God promises that the enemy will flee from you.
SOUL SEARCH
Do I remember a particular time when I yielded all to God? How did that change my life?
Father, help me to always be vigilant in the fight against spiritual wickedness.
JANUARY 5
How Could We Not Follow?
What do you seek?
JOHN 1:38
When we hear Jesus speak, how can we help but follow Him? No man ever spoke like this Man, and once we understand who He is, we ask with Peter, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68). No one else ever dared say the things that Jesus said. He was the preexistent God manifest in human form. He was the only way to God. He could forgive sins and raise the dead. When once we were enamored by the ugliness of sin, now we are drawn to the beauty of the Savior.
John introduced Jesus in the hearing of two of his disciples: “Behold, the Lamb of God” (John 1:29). He was the promised One, the Messiah who had come to suffer for the sin of the world. We look back and see His suffering, and such demonstrated love makes us love Him and seek Him even more.
SOUL SEARCH
How can I best keep my love for the Savior as my “first love”?
Father, keep the cross ever before me, for that’s where I see the demonstration of your love.
JANUARY 6
A Divine Invitation
Come and see.
JOHN 1:39
Jesus gave them an open invitation—come and see. What an honor to see where Jesus stayed. Little did they know that by coming to the Savior, they would eventually see much more than where He lived. They would see Jesus walking on water, raising the dead, healing the sick, giving sight to the blind, and at the climax, dying in agony on the cross.
But that was just the beginning—the first step in reconciling humanity to God. Because they belonged to Jesus, they would be made pure in heart by His blood and eventually see God.
This is all we need to say to the skeptic: “Come and see. Blind world, come and see.”
SOUL SEARCH
How can I come and see Jesus daily? What can I do today to make that a reality?
Father, keep me coming and seeing the Savior.
JANUARY 7
The Use of the Trumpet
Behold an Israelite indeed,
in whom is no guile!
JOHN 1:47 (KJV)
Jesus knew Nathaniel. He said of him that he was an Israelite, but he was more than just an Israelite. Jesus used the trumpet of “behold” to announce him. He was an Israelite indeed, not just in word. As a Jew, Nathaniel was brought up eating, drinking, and sleeping the Law of Moses. He understood the true nature of sin, and like Paul—who was brought up at the feet of Gamaliel (the great teacher of the Law), he knew that sin was “exceedingly sinful” (Romans 7:13).
But Jesus went further by saying that Nathaniel was without guile and without deceit—the ultimate character reference. He didn’t twist the Law as the Pharisees did, causing it to lose its power to reveal sin. Their traditions had become their doctrine, thus cancelling out the purpose and effectiveness of the Law. Nathaniel did not fit this pattern. The Law was a schoolmaster to bring him to Christ (Galatians 3:24).
SOUL SEARCH
Is my heart without deceit? Are my motives always pure before God?
Father, search my deceitful heart today, and show me if I’m walking in guile.
JANUARY 8
Every Individual Hair
Before Philip called you,
when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.
JOHN 1:48
Nathaniel was amazed that Jesus knew so much about him. It is a life-changing revelation when we find out that God knows us as individuals and that His knowledge is intimate. Consider what Psalm 139 says:
O LORD, You have searched me and known me.
You know my sitting down and my rising up;
You understand my thought afar off.
You comprehend my path and my lying down,
And are acquainted with all my ways.
For there is not a word on my tongue,
But behold, O LORD, You know it altogether.
(vv. 2–4)
For the unsaved, the thought that God sees their every move is disconcerting. But for those of us who have peace with God through Jesus, such thoughts are comforting and wonderful, in the truest sense of the word.
SOUL SEARCH
Pray the psalmist’s words earnestly. How will they affect my day?
Father, thank you for comforting me with your words today. You know me well. Help me to be mindful that you know all of my ways and to live in that reality.
JANUARY 9
The Greatest Revelation
Because I said to you,
“I saw you under the fig tree,”
do you believe?
JOHN 1:50
The greatest revelation any human being can have is to understand the identity of Jesus of Nazareth. He is the Son of God. He is the Creator manifest in the flesh (1 Timothy 3:16). He is the life source in human form who came to destroy the power of death by dying humanity.
When Peter knew who Jesus was, his response was, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God” (Matthew 16:16). Jesus then told him that he was blessed because the Father Himself had revealed this to him. This is the revelation upon which the church is built. Peter is not the rock, as some erroneously believe. Jesus said, “And on this rock I will build My church” (v. 18).
When we repent and trust in Jesus as Savior and Lord, our sins are forgiven, our feet are established upon the rock—and we come out of darkness into light, out of death into life.
SOUL SEARCH
Am I living my life in accordance with the truth of the Scriptures? Will I make all of today’s thoughts and decisions in that light?
Father, help me build every aspect of my life on the Rock.
JANUARY 10
Under the Tree
You will see greater things than these.
JOHN 1:50
Nathaniel believed that Jesus was the Son of God because Jesus saw him under the fig tree. We don’t know what he was thinking under that tree. Only God and Nathaniel know that detail. Perhaps he was crying out for the promised Messiah. Perhaps he was praying desperately to know the truth about Jesus’ identity. Perhaps he was heavy laden under the weight of his own sins.
Whatever his intimate thoughts, whatever he was doing, he was known by God, and that incredible truth caused Nathaniel to acknowledge the deity of Jesus of Nazareth.
Each of us should have a similar testimony. God knows us personally, He knows us by name, knows our deepest thoughts and fears. Our testimony can be that when we cried out to the Lord, He heard our cry, and He delivered us from all of our fears.
SOUL SEARCH
Do I remember the moment I understood God’s omniscience? How did it change my life?
Father, you are awesome beyond words.
JANUARY 11
The Only Ladder
Most assuredly, I say to you,
hereafter you shall see heaven open,
and the angels of God ascending
and descending upon the Son of Man.
JOHN 1:51
When a weary Jacob laid his head on a stone and slept, he saw angels ascending and descending into the heavens on a ladder (Genesis 28:10–17). Jesus told Nathaniel that he was going to see angels ascending and descending upon Him. In other words, Jesus is the pathway to heaven.
The exclusivity of Christianity is probably as offensive to this world as the doctrine of eternal judgment. The gospel states that there is only one way to the Father (John 14:6). Objectionable though it may be to an unbeliever, it’s the truth. “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is no other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). We need a Savior who satisfies the demands of eternal justice and the demands of God’s Law. Jesus, through His suffering and death, took the punishment for those crimes. He alone has the power on earth to forgive sin.
SOUL SEARCH
Am I trusting alone in the grace of God today? Is there any self-righteousness in me?
Father, Your grace is truly amazing. Help me to meditate on that today.
JANUARY 12
The Symbol of Life
Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me?
My hour has not yet come.
JOHN 2:4
Wine is symbolic of blood, and blood is symbolic of life. Mary was simply concerned that the wine had run out. She wasn’t talking about her Son’s life being taken from Him as He shed His blood for the sin of the world. Jesus was about His Father’s business and seemed to be talking in riddles.
He always had the cross before Him. How could He not? It was the reason for His life here on earth. He was born to die—to enter into the winepress, the horrific baptism of suffering, and He could never take His rest until that was accomplished (Luke 12:50).
He was thinking of another marriage—the marriage supper of the Lamb, where He would come for His spotless virgin bride, the church: “Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready” (Revelation 19:7).
SOUL SEARCH
Do I often meditate on the agony of the cross as I should? What can I do to keep the cross ever before me (Galatians 6:14)?
Father, open the eyes of my understanding and help me to be ever grateful for Calvary.
JANUARY 13
Do Whatever He Says
Fill the waterpots with water.
JOHN 2:7
There are those who exalt Mary above her womanhood and ignore the necessity of the new birth. Jesus said that every person must be born again to enter heaven, and Mary said to do what Jesus said (John 3:1–5). Those who have never trusted in Jesus alone and been born again should therefore obey both Mary and Jesus and be born again.
While salvation is by grace alone through the medium of faith, the door of salvation hinges upon obedience (Hebrews 5:8). When Jesus told the servants to fill the waterpots, they obeyed and filled them to the brim. An obedient heart is evidence that we have passed from death to life. If we love Him, we will keep His Commandments and fully delight to do God’s will. May our loving obedience to God fill our cup of salvation to overflowing, spilling over into the world.
SOUL SEARCH
Do I do everything for God with my whole heart? What can I do to keep from dragging my feet when it comes to evangelism, fellowship, reading the Word, giving, or prayer?
Father, may I always delight to do your will.
JANUARY 14
The Holy Whip
Take these things away!
Do not make My Father’s house
a house of merchandise!
JOHN 2:16
Many within the church don’t think of prosperity preachers (who talk of nothing but gaining wealth) as those who make the church into a house of merchandise. But they do. They preach godliness as a means of gain. Speaking of evil men, this verse says, “Useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself” (1 Timothy 6:5).
I’m sure that when Jesus took a whip to the buyers and the sellers who had invaded the Temple, the fear of God entered their hearts. The whip added power to His words. Proponents of prosperity teaching need to understand the fear of God. Perhaps then they would realize that this doctrine, focused on selfishness and greed, would one day be judged for the sin that it is. Repentance is in order. Truth must be preached so that this lost world will flee from the wrath of God and come to the Savior.
SOUL SEARCH
Am I attracted to self-centered messages that have no concern for the unsaved? Do I see Christianity merely as a means of monetary gain?
Father, help me to be free from selfishness, and to keep my eyes on the true riches.
JANUARY 15
Study and Search
Destroy this temple,
and in three days I will raise it up.
JOHN 2:19
The religious leaders used this statement to condemn Jesus at His mock trial (Matthew 26:57–68). They took it to mean that He would destroy their beloved temple. He was, of course, speaking of the temple of His body, and His prophetic words were fulfilled when they crucified Him and three days later He rose again. Later on, He said, “No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father” (John 10:18).
The religious leaders weren’t seeking truth. They were seeking evidence to condemn Jesus and justify themselves, as do the proud and self-righteous of today. Bible verses are often taken out of context and ridiculed rather than read in context in an effort to seek truth. Unfortunately, men love darkness rather than light. They cower from the light of truth because their deeds are evil, and the light of God’s Word exposes them.
SOUL SEARCH
Do I take the time to study God’s Word and daily search the Scriptures in an effort to find truth, or do I merely read the Word out of a sense of duty? I resolve today to seek truth.
Father, help me to be as the Bereans who searched the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so (Acts 17:11).
JANUARY 16
The New Birth
Most assuredly, I say to you,
unless one is born again,
he cannot see the kingdom of God.
JOHN 3:3
Natural men think naturally. They can’t help but do so. They are blind to spiritual truth, and until they are born again, they cannot see the kingdom of God. Spiritual blindness needs to be treated as gently as we would treat someone who is physically blind. Unbelievers cannot see, and so we must show them patience and seek to give them light.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus explained the true meaning of the Law by expanding the meaning of the Ten Commandments to their fullest extent (Matthew 5–7). When a sinner sees himself in the light of the Law, the need for mercy comes clear and paves the way to an understanding of the cross. Nicodemus was a humble and godly Jew who was instructed in the Law, and so when Jesus presented Himself as the suffering Savior, Nicodemus was able to understand the gospel. The Law was a schoolmaster that brought him to Christ (Galatians 3:24).
SOUL SEARCH
Do I imitate Jesus when it comes to sharing the Good News, or am I influenced by the unbiblical methods of modern evangelism? How can I mirror Jesus in my witnessing?
Father, teach me how to reach the lost.
JANUARY 17
Natural Birth
Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the
Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born
of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Do not marvel that I said to you, “You must be born again.”
JOHN 3:5–7
Some say that Jesus is referring to water baptism when He spoke of being born of water, but it is clear that He is speaking of natural birth. We know this because Jesus immediately qualifies the statement by speaking about being born of the flesh. A babe in the womb is cushioned in water until the moment of birth.
Water baptism is an outward expression of an inward change. Those who believe it is necessary for salvation are forgetting that when the Holy Spirit was given to the Gentiles, the Bible says that they received the gift of salvation before they were baptized in water (Acts 10:44–48). Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone, and nothing we do can merit it. Ephesians 2:8–9 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
SOUL SEARCH
May I never forget the amazing grace shown to me even before I was born, and may my passion be to share that truth with the lost.
Father, it was your grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved. May I always remember that truth.
JANUARY 18
The Invisible Wind
The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it,
but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes.
So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.
JOHN 3:8
The wind is a mystery. It’s not only invisible but it’s strange in that it can blow a gale in one place, and a few miles away, it can be calm and peaceful. What makes the gale stop and the tranquility begin?
The Spirit of God is like the wind. He is invisible and blows winds of revival in one place, but not in another.
I was once sharing the gospel with two young men. One listened intently to every word I said. The other sat across the room showing no obvious interest at all. But he was the one who later came to the Savior. While we can never predict or be sure of the salvation of any sinner, we can be sure of one thing. If we faithfully sow the Word of God, God is faithful to watch over it. It never returns void—our labor is never in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58).
SOUL SEARCH
What can I do to keep from becoming discouraged, negative, and fearful when it comes to evangelism?
Father, please help me to be like Jesus and to joyfully obey his command of going into all the world and preaching the gospel to every creature.
JANUARY 19
The Great Teacher
Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?
Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and
testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our
witness. If I have told you earthly things and you do not
believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?
JOHN 3:10–12
Nicodemus was a great teacher in Israel. He was knowledgeable in the Law of God, and yet Jesus asked why he didn’t know about the necessity of the new birth. Surely he was familiar with the great promise of salvation: “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them” (Ezekiel 36:26–27).
This was the new covenant—the miracle of the new birth. If we believe what Jesus told us about earthly things, the door to the knowledge of heavenly things will open. Faith is the key that opens the door.
SOUL SEARCH
Am I familiar with all the promises of God? What promise am I standing on today?
Father, I will live forever because you are faithful to your promises. May I never insult you with an “evil heart of unbelief” (Hebrews 3:12).
JANUARY 20
Carry Some Salt
No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from
heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.
JOHN 3:13
To carry a grain of salt means to have a healthy skepticism. It’s always good to carry a sack of salt when people say that they’ve been to heaven and met God. Jesus said that no one has ascended to heaven, and the Word says that no man has seen God at any time (John 1:18). People have seen manifestations of God through burning bushes and angels, but no one can see Him in essence and live (Exodus 33:20).
The reason no one can see God is because He’s a fire of burning holiness. If sinful creatures stood in His presence, His wrath would consume them. The Bible describes Him as a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29). Only the pure in heart will see God, and that’s what we are in Christ—perfectly righteous and able to stand in the presence of a holy God.
SOUL SEARCH
Is my image of God biblical? Can I say with the psalmist, “My flesh trembles for fear of You, and I am afraid of Your judgments” (Psalm 119:120)?
Father, please give me a revelation of your holiness, that I might fear you.
JANUARY 21
The Biting Serpents
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness,
even so must the Son of Man be lifted up.
JOHN 3:14
The whole tragedy of the human race, with its death and destruction, pain, and suffering began when a serpent beguiled Eve.
Numbers 21:4–9 tells the story of another serpent. The children of Israel bitterly complained against God and Moses for their wilderness woes. In response, God sent poisonous snakes, and many died. When the people cried out to God for deliverance, God told Moses to put a replica of a snake on a pole. When those who had been bitten looked at it, they were healed. The Law of Moses is like those biting snakes because it brings nothing but the curse of death. But when repentant sinners look to Jesus, who became a curse for us on the cross, they are delivered from death. That is why we must take sinners through the moral Law. Its purpose is to bring death to their futile efforts to be saved (Romans 7:10) and make them look to Jesus as their only way to life. The Law is a schoolmaster to bring people to Christ so they may be justified by faith.
SOUL SEARCH
What emotions do I have when I think of Jesus becoming a curse for me? Am I truly horrified, grateful, contrite, and left in awe?
Father, there are no words to express my feelings when it comes to the cross. Help me be an instrument to lovingly share your love with others.
JANUARY 22
Cereal and Milk
That whoever believes in Him
should not perish but have eternal life.
JOHN 3:15
Childlike faith is a stumbling block to the proud. They refuse to trust in Jesus because faith in Him implies weakness in them. It means they have to let go of their intellectual reason and trust in an invisible God, which is offensive to a proud person.
Think about this: We trust people and things daily. When we drive a car, we trust that the wheels are well secured, the gas tank isn’t leaking, the steering wheel works, the tires won’t blow, the traffic lights are functioning, the driver on the other side of the yellow line will stay on his side, and that he is not texting, drinking, high on drugs, or suicidal. When we sit down and pour milk on our cereal, we trust a chair. We are confident that the food we are about to eat is germ free and bug free!
So many of the things we trust can let us down. But faith in Jesus will never disappoint us.
SOUL SEARCH
Do I trust the Lord in every area of my life? What can I do to remind myself to first look to Him with every decision to get His smile or frown?
Father, remind me to seek you in everything, even in the small things.
JANUARY 23
Diagnosis First
For God so loved the world
that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whoever believes in Him
should not perish but have everlasting life.
JOHN 3:16
Thanks to zealous Christians at sporting events, John 3:16 has become the most famous Bible verse. It is held up on signs as the essence of the gospel message.
Years ago a well-known preacher, Paris Reidhead, stated, “Don’t preach John 3:16 because America has become ‘gospel-hardened.’” This was because for many years, modern evangelism had presented an unbiblical message of the gospel. People had failed to follow the pattern in Scripture given by Jesus, Paul, and the apostles, which is to always preach Moses before we preach Jesus. The Law must come before grace. There must be diagnosis of the disease before the cure is given. The Law gives the diagnosis of sin, and the gospel is the cure. Without the Law of Moses to bring the knowledge of sin, John 3:16 is foolishness to the world (1 Corinthians 1:18). It is to give a cure to a man who doesn’t know he has a disease.
SOUL SEARCH
Have I presented the cure of the gospel without explaining the disease of sin? Why is this an attractive alternative?
Father, please give me the wisdom to present the gospel biblically.
JANUARY 24
Somebody Loves Me
For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the
world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
JOHN 3:17
Ask people how they know God loves them and they will probably point to prosperity. When something goes right, they say things like, “Somebody up there loves me.” Their thought is that every blessing comes because they merit divine favor. Yet, if God’s love is evidenced by prosperity, billionaires are far more loved by God than the desperately poor.
The Christian looks to the cross as evidence of God’s love. “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins” (1 John 4:10 NIV). God’s love is never earned by what God sees in us. It is extended to guilty sinners because He is the essence of love. I don’t make the sun shine on me; its rays have nothing to do with what I do. The sun shines on me because that’s what the sun does. So it is with the love of God, because “God is love” (v. 8).
SOUL SEARCH
Have I ever deceived myself into believing that my virtues commend me to God or that my good works are pleasing to Him without faith in the Savior? Can I think of any areas in my life where my good works have replaced my faith?
Father, thank you for the mercy of the cross.
JANUARY 25
Condemned Already
He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does
not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed
in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
JOHN 3:18
Every now and then, someone will say that we shouldn’t take a sinner through the Ten Commandments because it makes them feel condemned—Jesus didn’t come to condemn, but to forgive.
However, the reason sinners need forgiveness is because they are “condemned already.” The Bible says all liars will have their part in the lake of fire (Revelation 21:8) and that no adulterer, fornicator, or thief will inherit God’s kingdom (1 Corinthians 6:9–10). God’s Word says that if we have looked with lust, we’ve already committed adultery (Matthew 5:27–28). Sinners are children of wrath, and every time they sin, they are storing up wrath that will be revealed on the day of judgment. Once they understand their danger, they will flee to the Savior, believe in Him, and find mercy.
SOUL SEARCH
Would I rather tell someone that God loves them or talk to them about sin? Why?
Father, help me to think more about sinners’ fates than my own fear of rejection.
JANUARY 26
The Real Reason
And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the
world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their
deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and
does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.
JOHN 3:19–20
Here is the reason sinners stay away from the gospel: They don’t want to find God for the same reason a criminal doesn’t want to bump into a police officer. It’s not that they can’t find Him. The prodigal son went to a far country to spend his money on prostitutes (Luke 15:30). The obvious reason he went to a far country was to get away from his father—because he knew that his father would frown upon what he wanted to do.
Atheism is a far country. It’s as far away from God as a sinner thinks he can get. Yet nothing has changed since the beginning of creation when Adam sinned against God and hid from his Creator. That’s what guilty sinners do. They love the darkness and stay away from the light because the light exposes their evil deeds.
May God’s Law expose them so that they will find mercy before the day of judgment.
SOUL SEARCH
Do I ever feel guilt when I let the light of God’s Word shine? If so, why?
Father, please search me right now. Shine the light on me and expose anything that I shouldn’t or should be doing.
JANUARY 27
The Freeway Chase
But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds
may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.
JOHN 3:21
