One Solitary Life

Have you ever considered the impact that this one person made in our world?

 Video: One Solitary Life

He was born in an obscure village

The child of a peasant woman

He grew up in another obscure village

Where he worked in a carpenter shop

Until he was thirty when public opinion turned against him

He never wrote a book

He never held an office

He never went to college

He never visited a big city

He never traveled more than two hundred miles

From the place where he was born

He did none of the things

Usually associated with greatness

He had no credentials but himself

He was only thirty three

His friends ran away

One of them denied him

He was turned over to his enemies

And went through the mockery of a trial

He was nailed to a cross between two thieves

While dying, his executioners gambled for his clothing

The only property he had on earth

When he was dead

He was laid in a borrowed grave

Through the pity of a friend

Nineteen centuries have come and gone

And today Jesus is the central figure of the human race

And the leader of mankind's progress

All the armies that have ever marched

All the navies that have ever sailed

All the parliaments that have ever sat

All the kings that ever reigned put together

Have not affected the life of mankind on earth

As powerfully as that one solitary life

Dr. James Allan Francis 1926

Our world is a messed up place but it would be so much worse if it wasn't for the influence of this one solitary life. Before Jesus stepped into our world the evil, barbaric condition of mankind was so much worse, we think it is bad now but injustice and hate were at much higher levels in society before Jesus than we have today.

He didn't have a blog or social media, he didn't have a talk show or become a star in Hollywood and he certainly wasn't a politician but his influence on our world is huge. Maybe you have never considered how much different the world would be without him.

It makes me wonder why we spend so much time listening to the people that have any of those things going for them. The people that read the news to us or sing songs or play games in sports or politics are nobody special.

So many of them think that they have the answers and we need to hear what they are because they are special and they are enlightened. We allow these people to elevate themselves and pretend to be relevant to the latest social issues that the media is focusing on. 

The problem with these enlightened people is they are here today and gone tomorrow and then they are replaced by a new group of enlightened people that are supposed to be more relevant than the previous ones. As Pastor Timothy Keller once said, todays wise people always think themselves to be wiser that the ones before the.

Wouldn't we be better off if we found out what this one man said and did? 

He made some outrageous claims that should not be ignored because if they are true then we will be in serious trouble. God wants us to dig into his word so we can understand who Jesus is and what he has done for those that believe.

I Am

Jesus claims to be everything that your heart is longing for.

John 8:28  So Jesus said, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man on the cross, then you will understand that I AM He. I do nothing on My own but say only what the Father taught Me.

John 10:30-33  The Father and I are one."  31  Once again the people picked up stones to kill Him.  32  Jesus said, "At My Father's direction I have done many good works. For which one are you going to stone Me?"  33  They replied, "We're stoning you not for any good work, but for blasphemy! You, a mere man, claim to be God."

John 18:4-6  Jesus fully realized all that was going to happen to Him, so He stepped forward to meet them. "Who are you looking for?" He asked.  5  "Jesus the Nazarene," they replied. "I AM He," Jesus said. (Judas, who betrayed Him, was standing with them.)  6  As Jesus said "I AM He," they all drew back and fell to the ground!

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If your opinion of Jesus is that he is a good man and nothing more then you probably have not checked out the Bible for yourself. The Bible is crystal clear that Jesus is not just a mere man.

Jesus told us clearly who he is, in my study of the "I Am" statements made by Jesus it has became more clear to me than ever before, Jesus wasn't trying to hide his identity or his mission for being with us.
 

In all of the "I Am' statements Jesus is claiming to be everything that we have ever needed and everything that we will need for this world and for all of eternity. What an incredible thought, that the one that knows me, loves me and provides so abundantly for me!

You can have all this world just "Give Me Jesus!" I love that song, it sums it all up for me, while the world is begging me to find what I need in a thousand other places, I know that there is only one place to get it all.

I Am The Way, The Truth And The Life Jesus answers important questions that have eternal consequences. I Am The Gate There is only one way to get to the safe place of rest that God offers his sheep. I Am The Vine God planted a new vine and he tends to it so it will be fruitful. Light Of The World The Bible proves that Jesus is the light that we need. I Am The Good Shepherd Jesus provides outstanding care and protection for his sheep. I Am The Resurrection Jesus predicted the events surrounding his death to make it obvious that he is the promised Messiah. I Am The Real Bread Jesus came to satisfy our soul not our body.

RELATED ARTICLES

The 'I Ams' of Jesus (billygraham.org)

Who Do You Think That I Am? (gty.org)

The Same Power Lives In Us

It is amazing to know that the power that rose Jesus from the grave lives in me.

Video: Jeremy Camp - Same Power

I can see

Waters raging at my feet

I can feel

The breath of those surrounding me

I can hear

The sound of nations rising up

We will not be overtaken

We will not be overcome

I can walk

Down this dark and painful road

I can face

Every fear of the unknown

I can hear

All God's children singing out

We will not be overtaken

We will not be overcome

The same power that rose Jesus from the grave

The same power that commands the dead to wake

Lives in us, lives in us

The same power that moves mountains when He speaks

The same power that can calm a raging sea

Lives in us, lives in us

He lives in us, lives in us

We have hope

That His promises are true

In His strength

There is nothing we can't do

Yes, we know

There are greater things in store

We will not be overtaken

We will not be overcome

Greater is He that is living in me

He's conquered our enemy

No power of darkness

No weapon prevails

We stand here in victory

Our Hope And Our Power

Ephesians 1:18-21 I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. 19 I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power 20 that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. 21 Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else— not only in this world but also in the world to come.

The Faithful Church

The faithful don't need to be strong.

Revelation 3:7-13 "Write this letter to the angel of the church in Philadelphia. This is the message from the One who is holy and true, the One who has the key of David. What He opens, no one can close; and what He closes, no one can open:

8 "I know all the things you do, and I have opened a door for you that no one can close. You have little strength, yet you obeyed My word and did not deny Me. 9 Look, I will force those who belong to Satan's synagogue--those liars who say they are Jews but are not--to come and bow down at your feet. They will acknowledge that you are the ones I love.

10 "Because you have obeyed My command to persevere, I will protect you from the great time of testing that will come upon the whole world to test those who belong to this world. 11 I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take away your crown. 12 All who are victorious will become pillars in the Temple of My God, and they will never have to leave it. And I will write on them the name of My God, and they will be citizens in the city of My God--the new Jerusalem that comes down from heaven from My God. And I will also write on them My new name.

13 "Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what He is saying to the churches."

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The church in Philadelphia receives a message from the One True God that is in control of everything. Philadelphia was found faithful to the one that is called "Holy and True" and they would receive commendation from Jesus without any discipline. (Revelation 6:10)

Thankfully God is not just Holy without being True! We would never be good enough if we were required to match his holiness on our own, but thankfully we don't have to because he is also True to all of his predictions and promises that he has made.

2 Corinthians 12:10 That's why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

The church in Philadelphia had little strength (Revelation 3:8) but it didn't matter because they never denied Jesus, they were true to him, they knew the source of their strength. It came from Jesus and he would protect them because they have been faithful and obedient. (Revelation 3:10)

Jesus shows his strength to the church to encourage them:

• Jesus has opened a door that no one can close.
• Jesus closes a door then no one can open.
• Jesus will force Satan's people to bow and acknowledge that God's children are loved.
• Jesus will protect us from the Great Tribulation.
• Jesus will come back for his church to give them their reward.
• Jesus will make us citizens in the city of God.

In these verses of Revelation Jesus made a lot of promises to the church that was faithful. The faithful church has the greatest hope because it has the ultimate source of strength and because of that it has the brightest future. We should be the most joyful people because God is on our side.

The church in the United States has more freedoms than any other church has ever had and we also have the greatest amount of financial resources but sadly we are doing very little. We need to be found faithful in using the opportunities that we have been blessed with so that the gospel message will be declared to the nations.

RELATED ARTICLES

Reasons To Be A Faithful Member Of A Local Church (counselingoneanother.com)

The Living One

The "Living One" gave me life so that I can give it back to him.

Revelation 1:17-18 When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as if I were dead. But He laid His right hand on me and said, "Don't be afraid! I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the living One. I died, but look--I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.

John 1:1-4 In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He existed in the beginning with God. 3 God created everything through Him, and nothing was created except through Him. 4 The Word gave life to everything that was created, and His life brought light to everyone.

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We live in an age that is consumed with avoiding the inevitable fact that we will all stop living someday. We look for better ways to eat and exercise and we look to advances in medical technology to help keep us alive longer.

Still we are not the master of our destiny and we cannot change the fact that we are going to stop living in this world. It is really an unnecessary worry because living eternally is what we are all going to do. The only thing that you need to be concerned with is where you will be for all of that time.

The "Living One" is the reason I should not be afraid

The main story of the Bible that you need to understand is that Jesus has made it possible to change your eternal destination. The work of the "Living One" on the cross has made it possible to spend eternity with him if you accept the free gift.

Jesus is the source of all life, he can take it or give it, the Bible has plenty of examples of Jesus giving physical life back to people that have died. Remember The widow of Nain’s son, Jairus’ daughter and Jesus' dear friend Lazarus. (Luke 7:11–17, 8:52–56, John 11)

John 5:24, 26 I tell you the truth, those who listen to My message and believe in God who sent Me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life. 26 The Father has life in Himself, and He has granted that same life-giving power to His Son.

Have you listened to Jesus message? Have you honestly checked out who he is for yourself? He has the power to give life in this temporary existence and he can also give you an eternity with him in the place he is preparing.

The "Living One" is the High Priest that I desperately needed.

The law of God that was passed down to the Jews through Moses stated that a substitute sacrifice had to be given in your place so that you didn't have to die for your sins. In order to be made right with God you had to go to the high priest and follow the steps that the law of God required.

Hebrews 7:16, 23-25 Jesus became a priest, not by meeting the physical requirement of belonging to the tribe of Levi, but by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed. 23 There were many priests under the old system, for death prevented them from remaining in office. 24 But because Jesus lives forever, His priesthood lasts forever. 25 Therefore He is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through Him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf.

Jesus is my high priest and he has declared me righteous! But before he became my perfect high priest he was the perfect sacrifice for my sins. The old system of sacrifices is gone because the perfect sacrifice is the final sacrifice and the new high priest is the "Living One" that will never die.

The "Living One" is the one I live for

Romans 14:7-9 For we don't live for ourselves or die for ourselves. 8 If we live, it's to honor the Lord. And if we die, it's to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. 9 Christ died and rose again for this very purpose--to be Lord both of the living and of the dead. 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 Either way, Christ's love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. 15 He died for everyone so that those who receive His new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them. Galatians 2:20 My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Before I accepted the great sacrifice that was given for my sins, it didn't matter how I lived, I could not do anything to change my eternal destination so it was up to me to enjoy this life while it lasted.

But now that I have been bought out of the slavery to sin, I don't belong to myself anymore, a high price was paid to give me eternal life, the one that purchased my freedom deserves to be Lord and ruler of my life.

I don't live under the restraints of the old law and I do not obey it to please the people around me. The Pharisees are not around anymore checking out my behavior to see how spiritual I am. Well they are not supposed to be but there may still be a few of them around.

My motivation to live a holy life that sacrifices self and glorifies God is out of love and gratitude for what the "Living One" has done for me. (Romans 7:4-6)

God With Us: Why Did He Come?

What did God accomplish in sending his Son to die?

 

John 3:16 "For God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.

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Each Christmas we celebrate the birth of somebody that would have never died, somebody that came so that he could die, somebody that died because of nothing that he did. What an amazing thought! Jesus could have stayed home and he would have avoided a lot of suffering. If I had to choose, I am pretty sure that I would have stayed home, I could not be so concerned for somebody else that I would leave the splendor of heaven and live here on this planet.

Such drastic actions on Jesus part should make us wonder, why did Jesus come to die? Who killed Jesus? What was the purpose? Why didn't he stay home avoid a lot of pain and sorrow?

Free book download: Fifty Reasons Jesus Came To Die - John Piper

In my study of "God With Us" this Christmas, I came across this John Piper book that is a free PDF download. The book there is a detailed study of why Jesus came to die, with an exhaustive list of reasons and a detailed explanation of what each reason is about and the Bible verses that backup each reason.

Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die:

1. To Absorb the Wrath of God 2. To Please His Heavenly Father 3. To Learn Obedience and Be Perfected 4. To Achieve His Own Resurrection from the Dead 5. To Show the Wealth of God’s Love and Grace for Sinners 6. To Show His Own Love for Us 7. To Cancel the Legal Demands of the Law Against Us 8. To Become a Ransom for Many 9. For the Forgiveness of Our Sins 10. To Provide the Basis for Our Justification 11. To Complete the Obedience That Becomes Our Righteousness 12. To Take Away Our Condemnation 13. To Abolish Circumcision and All Rituals as the Basis of Salvation 14. To Bring Us to Faith and Keep Us Faithful 15. To Make Us Holy, Blameless, and Perfect 16. To Give Us a Clear Conscience 17. To Obtain for Us All Things That Are Good for Us 18. To Heal Us from Moral and Physical Sickness 19. To Give Eternal Life to All Who Believe on Him 20. To Deliver Us from the Present Evil Age 21. To Reconcile Us to God 22. To Bring Us to God 23. So That We Might Belong to Him 24. To Give Us Confident Access to the Holiest Place 25. To Become for Us the Place Where We Meet God 26. To Bring the Old Testament Priesthood to an End and Become the Eternal High Priest 27. To Become a Sympathetic and Helpful Priest 28. To Free Us from the Futility of Our Ancestry 29. To Free Us from the Slavery of Sin 30. That We Might Die to Sin and Live to Righteousness 31. So That We Would Die to the Law and Bear Fruit for God 32. To Enable Us to Live for Christ and Not Ourselves 33. To Make His Cross the Ground of All Our Boasting 34. To Enable Us to Live by Faith in Him 35. To Give Marriage Its Deepest Meaning 36. To Create a People Passionate for Good Works 37. To Call Us to Follow His Example of Lowliness and Costly Love 38. To Create a Band of Crucified Followers 39. To Free Us from Bondage to the Fear of Death 40. So That We Would Be with Him Immediately After Death 41. To Secure Our Resurrection from the Dead 42. To Disarm the Rulers and Authorities 43. To Unleash the Power of God in the Gospel 44. To Destroy the Hostility Between Races 45. To Ransom People from Every Tribe and Language and People and Nation 46. To Gather All His Sheep from Around the World 47. To Rescue Us from Final Judgment 48. To Gain His Joy and Ours 49. So That He Would Be Crowned with Glory and Honor 50. To Show That the Worst Evil Is Meant by God for Good

Get the details for each reason in the free book download: Fifty Reasons Jesus Came To Die by John Piper.