Jesus

Jesus ~ Who is He Really?

Valerie Cullers 10 Comments
Many of the great religions of the world believe in Jesus. Some believe he was a good man, a saint, a great teacher, a prophet,  or a reincarnation of a deity, but who was he really? Christians have an entirely different take on the subject; they believe He was the Son of God, i.e, co-equal with the Father.
Let’s look at what the Scriptures say: 
“Yet I have set my King on My holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: The Lord has said to Me, You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.” Psalm 2: 6-7
“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.” (Literally, God with us.) Isaiah 7:14
For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Child is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6
“But when he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she shall bring forth a Son, and you shall call his name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.’ So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a Son, and they shall call his name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with Us.” Matthew 1: 20 – 23
“When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:16
Let’s look at who Jesus said He is:
“Jesus said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.” John 8: 58 (“This is a profound declaration by Jesus claiming his eternal pre-existence and divinity.” Bible Gateway)
“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14: 6
Who did his disciples say He was?
“Simon Peter answered and said, ‘ You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Matthew 16:16
“And after eight days His disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, ‘Peace to you!’ Then He said to Thomas, ‘Reach your finger here and look at my hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.’ And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” John 20: 26-28
As Holy Week approaches, and Christians prayerfully celebrate the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, I urge you to look at the claims of  Jesus. Historically investigate who He really is. Don’t just take someone else’s opinion. 
Several atheists have set out to disprove the claims of Jesus and their historical accuracy, and have become Christians after examining the facts. A few have written books about their experience. “More Than a Carpenter” by Josh McDowell and “Evidence Demands a Verdict” by Lee Strobel; are excellent references if you are interested.
When He returns, and He will return to judge the living and the dead, it will be imperative that you know exactly who He is. 

Image by Roger Casco. Courtesy of Pixabay

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Home

Valerie Cullers 20 Comments

This past week, my husband and I were house/dog sitting for our kids. Each day we would return to our own house to check our mail, etc. When it was about time to return to our kids’ house, I would say, “It’s time to go home.” He would try to correct me and say, “No, this is our home.” I would then say to him, “My home is wherever we are.”

You see, my house, or home, used to be important to me, but all of that changed when he was in the hospital. He spent about three weeks there, and I stayed at my son and daughter-in-law’s. When I would return “home” to get supplies, I would look around, and it was nothing but a structure without him. I would only feel “at home” when we were together. It didn’t matter if he was at the hospital or rehab center; wherever we were was “home.” My emotional attachment to our physical house has now changed; it is no longer our home, just where we are staying. This newfound freedom only adds to my sense of well-being.

Spiritually, my perspective on my eternal home changed years ago. When I first became a believer in Jesus Christ, I learned that Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world.” That meant that He was King of another kingdom, a spiritual kingdom if you will. I quit looking at myself as a citizen of this world and began to see myself as a citizen of His Kingdom, with His priorities in mind. I didn’t quit caring about the people and events taking place around me, but I did view them differently. For example, I certainly wasn’t going to make myself miserable with all the political machinations taking place in the news. I care about what’s going on, but I prefer to take the long view when it comes to them. I care about things from an eternal perspective now. You see, my eventual home will be with Jesus wherever He is. I want to promote His kingdom and be concerned with the things He is concerned about, and I do know one thing. He cares about people. He wants people to come to know Him and spend eternity with Him in His home.

What about you? On an emotional level, where do you consider your home to be? And what about on a spiritual level, where do you think your eternal home will be? If you are not sure, check out Jesus and what He has to say about it. He will gladly point you in the right direction.

Photo courtesy of PIxabay.

Resident Evil

Valerie Cullers 16 Comments

The other evening I lay in bed thinking about a horrendous crime that happened. It was on the news nationally and I was thinking about the evil that our society deals with on a daily basis. As I was pondering what was going on in our culture and thinking about how bad things were, I heard three words in my spirit, “Cain and Abel.”

As I reflected on those words, I felt like what the Lord was trying to tell me was that there is evil in the heart of man. It has been there ever since man decided to go his own way and live independently of God. I was reminded of the scripture in Jeremiah 17:9, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” I don’t know about you, but when I hear those scriptures, I don’t want to believe them about myself. But it’s true, the unregenerate heart of man is deceitful and desperately wicked, even mine.

Proverbs 4:23 tells us to, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.” That’s right, whatever is in our hearts will eventually come out. Jesus was even more clear about it in Matthew 15:19, “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.” It’s pretty clear. When we are looking for resident evil, we need look no further than our own hearts. People who know themselves well know that any of us could fall into sin at a moment’s notice. None are immune.

Is there any hope for us? Fortunately, the Lord does not leave us in our unregenerate state if we want to change. He says in Ezekiel 36:26, “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.” Help is right there for the asking. If we want a new heart and new spirit, we must come to the Lord, turn away from our sins, and ask him to come into our lives and give us a new heart. He will be true to his word and do it. After all, that is why Jesus came; to pay our sin debt and give us the opportunity to be born again.

What do you say? How’s your heart condition? Any resident evil there? Are you trying to cover up your evil thoughts and deeds? Doesn’t work, does it? It’s like trying to put lipstick on a pig. But think about it…a new heart is only a prayer away. You just have to ask.

Image courtesy of Pixabay

Reductive

Valerie Cullers 9 Comments

Have you ever used the word reductive? Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary defines it as, “of, relating to, causing or involving reduction.” When you use it in a non-scientific sentence, you are talking about reducing something or someone. I have been thinking about that term in relation to Jesus.

You see, Jesus claimed to be many things. The most astounding claim He made was that He was in fact, God’s Son, and one with the Father in essence. His words, not mine, “I and My Father are one.” John 10:30 The one cardinal doctrine in mainline Christianity is that Jesus, God’s Son, is in fact, also God.

Any other characterization of Jesus is reductive. Some claim He was a prophet. Some believe He was the finest man who ever lived. Several offshoots of Christianity believe Jesus was an angel. Some Eastern religions believe He was an Avatar, a special being who came to earth to enlighten mankind. None of these definitions are inherently bad, they are just reductive. They reduce Jesus to something less than He claimed to be.

When deciding who Jesus is, we must take His claims seriously. He is either who He claimed to be or He is a liar. There is really no other choice. If you have decided that Jesus is something less than He claimed to be, then please, read the Gospels and make an informed decision. Is He the Son of God, i.e., one in essence with the Father, or not? Any other opinion about who He really was is reductive.

Image by Jeff Jacobs. Courtesy of Pixabay

No Substitutes

Valerie Cullers 17 Comments

Have you ever made a recipe and it said, “No substitutes?” Then you know that you have to have the real “thing” or ingredient to make the dish come out right. It’s that way with life; there really are “no substitutes” for having Jesus in your life.

Recently, I have been going through a difficult experience. If it wasn’t for the Lord, I don’t think I would have made it through. What about you? Are you going through a difficult experience? What are you relying on to make it through…drugs, alcohol, or something else to help you cope? If so, why not give Jesus a try? Just call out to Him and He will be there to help you!

He is The Good Shepherd – “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.” John 10:11

What more can you ask for? God Incarnate became a man who came to earth to lay down his life for all of us. He will always be there to provide for you, to lead and guide you, to heal and help you and to see you safely home.

In whatever situation you are going through, there is Someone who is waiting to walk through it with you; to help you in a way that no other person can. He will be with you every second of every minute of every hour of every day.

HE is there beside you, waiting to be asked into your difficult situation so that HE can be your provision. Why not give HIM a try? There really are no other substitutes for HIM and the help HE can give you!

Image by Jeff Jacobs. Courtesy of Pixabay.