Do you seek the true Jesus?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living

And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, who shall stand as a banner to the people; for the Gentiles shall seek Him, and His resting place shall be glorious.
(Isaiah 11:10 (NIV))

The children of Israel had, throughout all of their history, looked for a military and political leader to be their Messiah. Yet, the words were given to Isaiah hundreds of years before Jesus came that stated that the expected Messiah would actually be someone that the Gentiles would seek.

This does not sound like a military leader. The Jewish people were expecting a military leader to defeat the Gentiles and establish them as what they thought the “Chosen People” meant. They did not understand that to be the “Chosen People” meant that through them salvation would come. They thought that it meant that God has selected them to rule over the world and establish His Kingdom in a military fashion. They chose to ignore the words that Isaiah spoke to them.

Are we ignoring the words that God is speaking to us today? The Messiah that the world received is one who shares the grace and mercy of God to all who will listen and accept. Is this the Messiah that you know, or are you looking for a Messiah who is more like what the children of Israel were looking for?

Do you seek the true Jesus?

Copyright 1998 – 2019 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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It is time to make up your mind!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living

I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!
(Revelation 3:15 (NIV))

Are you still sitting on the fence?

Are you thinking of following Jesus but still enticed by the world?

Does your attitude change based on whomever you are with?

Do you go from one extreme to the next in your thoughts and actions?

Jesus referred to people like this as being lukewarm. They can’t make a commitment to stand firm. They do one thing that is right in the eyes of God and the very next thing that they do is a major sin. Perhaps you simply walk a path that is neither an attempt to follow Jesus, nor is it a rejection of the world. Unfortunately, there are consequences for this type of behavior.

So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.
(Revelation 3:16 (NIV))

You may ask, “What about grace?”

If you call upon Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, and then deny Him, have you truly accepted God’s gift of grace? Have you decided in your mind that you are a sinner in need of a Savior?

It is time to make up your mind!

Copyright 1998 – 2017 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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What in this world is worth more than Jesus?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.
(Philippians 3:7 (NIV))

Are you willing to say the words that Paul spoke?

Are you willing to give up all that you have that is of this world for the sake of Jesus Christ?

For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
(Philippians 1:21 (NIV))

Paul was committed to living for Jesus. He was willing to give up everything, including his own life, so that others would know of the saving grace that is only available through the atoning blood of Jesus.

This is one hundred and eighty degrees opposite of what Paul was doing to the early church before his Damascus Road experience. Sometimes it takes a huge revelation to turn someone around so that they live for Christ. It seems that many times the bigger the conversion experience, the more boldness, the more dedication to living for Jesus a person has. In Paul’s case, he was, in his own words, a Pharisee. He was, by his own admission, guilty of persecuting the Body of Christ. He willingly gave up his position in society and in the Temple to spread the Gospel.

Paul realized that whatever he had in this world was worthless in comparison to having Jesus as his Lord and Savior.

What did Paul give up?

What did Paul gain?

What are you willing to give up in order to gain what Paul gained?

What in this world is worth more than Jesus?

Copyright 1998 – 2015 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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