And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
-- Luke 24:27
Remarkable things begin to happen when you and I encounter the resurrected Jesus. It’s true! Just look at what happened when those two discouraged disciples met Jesus while they were walking to Emmaus.
Now, at first, these two men didn’t recognize the resurrected Christ. They were telling this “stranger” about the recent events regarding Jesus’ death. And of course, no one knew more about these circumstances than Jesus, himself, but he listened patiently.
And then Jesus began to remind them of the Scriptures that revealed the purpose of his coming. One verse at a time, he walked them through the word. And as these broken-hearted men listened, they began to realize something magnificent was happening. Their hearts were on fire, their joy returned as this “stranger” unfolded God’s purposes before them.
Don’t you wish you could walk with Jesus this way… to hear him reveal the heart of God and his divine purposes? Well, you can!
Open the Scripture and begin to read. Jesus is the Word! That’s what the apostle John said in John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God….”
Read the Word and you will meet the living Christ! And he will ignite your passion and rekindle your hope.
READ THE WORD AND YOU WILL MEET THE LIVING CHRIST FACE TO FACE!
Tuesday, April 23, 2019
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“Moreover thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD; Shall they fall, and not arise? shall he turn away, and not return? Why then is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding? they hold fast deceit, they refuse to return. I hearkened and heard, but they spake not aright: no man repented him of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? every one turned to his course, as the horse rusheth into the battle.”
Jeremiah 8:4–6
I read a funny story about an antique dealer who was shopping in a hardware store. He noticed the owner’s cat eating out of a bowl, and recognized the bowl as a very valuable antique worth thousands of dollars. Wanting to get a bargain without mentioning the value of the bowl, he told the owner, “I’d like to buy your cat. I’ll give you $20 for him.” The owner refused to sell until the antique dealer raised the price to $100, which he accepted. The dealer then casually asked, “I assume I’ll get the bowl to go with the cat?” The owner replied, “No. That’s my lucky bowl. I’ve sold thirty-four cats with it this week!”
The Israelites in the time of Jeremiah were idolatrous, having turned their backs on God. This led to many other evils and sins—and the people were just fine with that. They had seared consciences, and when they were confronted by prophets they just held on to their sins more tightly than ever. Though sin always exacts a deadly price, there is usually a period of temporary and fleeting enjoyment. And if our hearts are hardened to the things of God, we cling to our deceit, our pride, our dishonesty, and our desires. Moses made the right decision because he recognized what really mattered: “Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season” (Hebrews 11:25).
Today's Growth Principle:
Our sinful nature tempts us to cling to our sins, but God gives us the power to overcome them.
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