All tagged jesus

From Whence Does My Help Come

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Succeeding in the Call

Today is Good Friday, and as we approach Easter Sunday let’s look at what God called Jesus to do and ask ourselves if we could answer that same call to suffering. In fact, this is a very important question today because we have in fact been called to Calvary with Christ. Have we ever considered this during Holy week before? Perhaps we haven’t because we feel that we are too weak to accomplish such a task, but like Jesus we receive help when asked to do the hard things. Let’s consider this today.

Answering the Call

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, God’s Call

When God calls us He usually does this suddenly, and typically without any preannouncement. Will we be ready to answer Him at a moment's notice, or will we need to prepare ourselves and make life adjustments before answering His call? Will we instantly reply, "Here I am!" when He calls, or will we need to think about it? I find it interesting that most of the great prophets and leaders in the Bible answered instantly when God called them. In most cases there was no hesitation and no consideration as to why they were being called. There might have been some trepidation and uncertainty like there was in the case of Moses when he felt his ability to speak would be an encumbrance, but for the most part there was an instant positive response.

Drinking the Sin of Man

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Experiencing Sin

We are another day closer to Holy Week and Easter Sunday, so my mind continues to dwell on, and further recall, the activities that were about to transpire in the life of Jesus at that time. This morning, I am concentrating specifically on the Garden of Gethsemane and the sorrow and agony that Jesus faced there. I pray that you will join me in reliving what occurred there and pray with me as we do this together. Let’s jointly recall the prayers and obedience to God’s will of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Will We Glow Like Jesus?

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional,

I am lost in thought this morning regarding a certain gift that was given us from the cross. We all know that Jesus suffered, died, was resurrected, and ascended into heaven, to release us from sin and death, but there is more. Through our faith and relationship with Him we too will be resurrected and receive a glorified body just as He did. Are we ready to glow with the same heavenly light that Jesus did while He was talking with Elijah and Moses in the scripture we discussed yesterday? Can we even fathom that?

Calvary, the Cross, and There Was No Murder

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Calvary and Murder

As Easter approaches and we are resting in the shadow of the cross my thoughts are on Jesus, and the final days of His life. I am contemplating the cross and what that momentous event in human history meant to mankind as Jesus hung from it. I am thinking about what it means to me personally, and what it means to the world as a whole. Contrary to what an unbeliever might think, Jesus was not a victim that day, and the cross was not imposed upon Him. Jesus, the lamb of God, came to this world to perform a job that wasn’t cut short by a murderous crowd at a place called Golgotha. No, He came to fulfill prophesy, deliver a message, take on our sins, and then to give up His life to conquer death for us. We, on the other hand, were graced with three years of His ministry during which He would show us beyond any shadow of a doubt that He was indeed the Son of God. Those years taught us lessons regarding a New Covenant that we could not have learned otherwise.

Remember Whose Child You Are

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Whose Child Am I?

Today let’s contemplate that time when our faith finally moves into its maturity, and we leave the childlike care of our Lord. Let’s focus on leaving the spiritual nursery, which is our earthly church, and how we will begin to test our spiritual wings within the world. Are we ready for what lies ahead? Is our faith strong enough to become real and not just a theory or vapor? This time of maturing came for the disciples of Christ, and when it did, Jesus told them that they would be scattered. The moment of truth had come.

Does God's Word Touch Others While We Work?

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Working For God

I am a writer and I write many things, but my morning devotional message is the first thing I write each day. Then there are the scriptural references I leave behind in nearly every other thing I write. For the most part they are hidden there to subtly implant a thought of Jesus, and God's heart song in the unsuspecting subconscious of a lost soul until at last their faith reveals these holy gems to them. Do you include the Word of God in your day-to-day work? Do you leave the Lord's mark on all those who see you at work, or within a subtle message that someone will find, and which will touch their heart in the fullness of God’s time?

Our Fascination in Jesus

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Focus on Jesus

What is the focus of our life? Is there something or someone that fascinates us beyond anyone, or anything we have ever known? Are we infatuated with the things of this world, or do our thoughts center on God and Jesus? Do we find our attention to be fixed on the divine, or on the physical world around us? The question I am hoping we will pose to ourselves today is this… Are we predominantly spiritual beings who are passing through a physical place, or physical creatures living out our lives in the world? Our answer will ultimately determine whether we are fascinated with Jesus or fixed on earthly things.

Intercession, God, and Jesus Christ

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Intercession and Us

Are we making intercession for others? Do we even know how to pray in such a manner? I worry about this often as I watch us attempt to pray for one another. Are our hearts in worship as we lift up prayers for those in need? Is there anyone even attempting such prayer? There have been times throughout biblical history when there has been no true intercession. One of them is recorded in Isaiah, and we can read of it in this verse...

Preparing for Visits from God and Jesus

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Visits from Jesus

On the 24th of this month I wrote of encountering Jesus in front of a jewelry store. It was an unexpected encounter that taught me a great deal about myself and my faith. Today I would like to explore those sudden and unexpected appearances of Jesus in our lives a bit further. It is true that we don't know the date and time of the return of Jesus as predicted in Revelation, but much like Saul, we do occasionally receive chance encounters with Him today during our everyday lives.

Meeting Jesus on the Street

Richard Forbes
Encountering Jesus, Christian , Daily Devotion

This morning, I have been mulling over the fact that we should always put Jesus ahead of our own wants and self-interests. My mind has wandered to those times when I have placed my name first and didn't allow Him to take the lead in my life... or had ignored Him all together. Jesus has been declared by God Himself to be the name above all names, and yet sometimes we take it upon ourselves to subvert His rule and pursue our own interests as if we hold a higher office than He does. We don't do this so much as a coup d'état but we do it in answer to our own pride and selfishness. Does the thought of this cause our faces to flush with embarrassment and shame?

Does Your Heart Burn?

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Burning Hearts

I really love the story of Jesus appearing to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. This morning let’s concentrate on what those disciples said when they finally realized that the man they had been traveling with was actually Jesus; they said: "did not our heart burn within us." Let’s think about our own moment when it became clear to us that Jesus was truly the Son of God and had been sent to save us. Let’s think back on that faithful day when we walked with Him down our own road to Emmaus and how His gospel message came alive in us as our hearts burned.

Believing In or Of; This is a Question of Faith

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, In or Of Jesus

This morning I am contemplating a single phrase in the King James translation of the Bible... it is one that was written by Paul to the Galatians, and is found in Galatians 2:20. It reads like this..."by the faith of the son of God." This is opposed to several modern translations which record it as "by the faith in the Son of God." So the question boils down to one word and two different translations... Our study is whether to us the word "In" or "Of" as we talk about our faith. This might sound tedious but the implications are great.

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