Month: January 2021

Devotional

What Is My Purpose?

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by Kathryn J. Hughes

May he grant you according to your heart’s desire, and fulfill all your purpose. Psalm 20:4

New Year’s Day has come and gone. Did you make resolutions? I tend to spend some time in reflection as I change yearly calendars. How did I do on my goals? What should I try to accomplish this new year? How have I grown in my faith? What areas have I failed in? What are my goals for the next year and several years?

I’m late in going through this reflection this year. I’m reviewing a book on organization that I read many years ago. It talks about starting first with a mission statement. A mission statement helps to guide the goals. Another way of stating my mission is to ask, what is my purpose in life? Certainly being a wife, an employee, a friend, and a mother to adult children are all part of my life. But what is my mission or purpose as a follower of Jesus Christ?

Jesus knew His purpose. In telling His disciples of His coming crucifixion, He said, “Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this Hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour.” John 12:27. He knew His purpose was to die to pay the penalty of sin so mankind could be rescued from eternal punishment. He knew He would come back to life, showing His power over sin and death.

Jesus gave His disciples final instructions regarding their purpose. “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20

It follows that telling others of Jesus and teaching them to observe His commands is part of my objective. Hmmm. I need to be more faithful in the telling and the teaching.

I also need to be better at knowing and observing Jesus’ commands.One of Jesus’ commands were to abide in Him even as He did in the Father. Keeping His commandments was key in abiding. “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.” If I’m abiding in Jesus, then my desires should reflect His desires. Another commandment was to love one another as Jesus loved us. (John 15).

Later followers of Christ were encouraged to continue in the Lord. When he (Barnabas) came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord. (Acts 11:23) ‘Purpose of heart’ means it’s a firm, conscious decision. It’s said that people often do not choose to wander from God, but that it is a slow eroding away of commitment that leaves them open to the enemy’s attacks and to choices that do not honor God. Part of my mission, then, is to stay on target with God and not allow a foothold for the enemy. I’m to continue in the Lord, and not give up when discouraged, nor become ‘too busy’ to spend time with God.

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So what is my purpose? My mission is to follow Jesus, obey His commands, and to tell others how they can know Jesus and observe His teachings, too. My mission is to abide in Jesus Christ and His love. I am to love others as Jesus loves me.

Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith… I Timothy 1:5

What is your mission statement? Are your goals on target with your purpose?

Lord, I want to live according to the purpose You have for me. Please help me be faithful to You. Show me how to set my goals to match my purpose, and then to follow through. Amen.

Devotional

Who is Jesus Christ?

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Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name. (John 20:30, 31 NIV)

Every year we celebrate the birth of Jesus. But who is He? Why is He important? Jesus claimed to be the Son of God, the Messiah foretold by prophecy throughout Scripture. Is He? Does he fulfill prophesies about Him?

According to Josh McDowell of Josh McDowell Ministry, there are 333 Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah that go back hundreds of years before Christ. They are fulfilled in Jesus. Some would claim that it is a coincidence that these prophecies came true. If Jesus were a fake, He would not have been statistically able to fulfill them.

Let’s look at some of them.

  • Jesus was from the house of David through both Mary (Luke 3:23-38) and his foster father, Joseph (Matthew 1:1-17) as the Prophet foretold in Isaiah 9:6, 7.  
  • The Messiah would be born of a virgin. “Therefore the LORD Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”(Isaiah 7:14) Mary asked the angel Gabriel how she could give birth. “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” (Luke 1:26-38). Joseph was told by the angel not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife, “for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 1:18-25)
  • His birthplace would be Bethlehem (Micah 5:2, 4a). Mary and Joseph were from Nazareth, not Bethlehem. Caesar Augustus decreed that all of the Roman world should be registered. Joseph and his betrothed wife Mary had to register in Bethlehem, the town of David. The angel of the Lord told the shepherds a Savior was born in the town of David. (Luke 2:8-20). Later, the wise men visited King Herod to find the King of the Jews who had been born. The chief priests and scribes told Herod of Micah’s prophesy regarding Bethlehem. The wise men went there, and the star they were following stopped over the house where the young Child was. (Matthew 2:1-12)
  • The king would come to Jerusalem righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, and on a colt. (Zechariah 9:9) All four Gospels recount Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a colt while crowds spread branches on the ground and shouted, “Hosanna to the son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
  • Jesus is the suffering Savior of prophesy. Psalm 22 foretold His crucifixion 800 years before Jesus’ death and resurrection, long before the Roman Empire existed and started using crucifixion.  Psalm 22 describes the mocking; his clothes being distributed by division and the casting of lots; the piercing of his hands and feet, and bones being out of joint. All of this happened to Jesus, as described in Matthew 27, Mark 15, Luke 23, and John 19.  Jesus alludes to Psalm 22 when He cries out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Psalm 22:1 and Matthew 27:46)

After Jesus’ resurrection, He said to two disciples on the walk to Emmaus, “How foolish you are and slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory? And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning Himself. (Luke 24:25-27 NIV) Jesus also told His followers of His resurrection before he went to the cross for you, me, and all who choose to come to faith in Him.

The Bible is full of prophesies about the coming Savior, the Messiah. Foretold from Genesis through Revelation, Jesus’ first advent came to pass, and we can rest assured that the second advent of Jesus Christ will come as He said. Prophesy foretells His return in Revelation and Paul wrote about it in I Thessalonians 4:13-18.

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Why does Jesus being who He said He was matter to me? Jesus is my Savior, my rescuer from the penalty of sin’s eternal death. I have life with God because of the price Jesus paid in my stead. I can face death and know beyond doubt that I will spend eternity with Jesus because He is the Son of God as He claimed. He can help me live life according to His plan. He is coming back again! His fulfilled prophesies tell me who He is.  

Who is Jesus to you? What does that mean for your life?

Dear Jesus. I’m overwhelmed by how You alone fulfill Scripture. I choose to follow You, for You are who You claim. Amen.

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