Who do you see when you look up?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.
Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters–one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”
While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”
When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.
(Matthew 17:1-8 (NIV))

When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus!

Think about that statement.

Peter, James and John were Jewish. The core of the Jewish faith hinges upon what God did through Moses and Elijah. Peter, James and John were probably awe struck. The men whom God used to lay the foundations of what they had been taught all of their lives were standing supernaturally right in front of them. They wanted to commemorate this moment. They wanted to be able to have a place where they could relive this very moment.

Isn’t it interesting how these three men had spent several years with Jesus and this is the moment that probably made them truly aware of who He was and who He is. I love the symbolism of their faith traditions being overshadowed by Jesus. When they looked up, all that they saw was Jesus. Moses and Elijah were no where to be seen. Traditions can not save you.

Moses can’t offer salvation. Elijah can’t offer salvation. They brought God’s Law and His prophetic Word, but they can not bring salvation. That is available through only one source.

Jesus!

Moses and Elijah were only human. Jesus has a much higher authority as the Son of God. Only Jesus can save.

When you seek grace, mercy and salvation, whom do you see?

Copyright 1998 – 2015 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“May those who love you be secure.
(Psalms 122:6 (NIV))

What do you know about Rosh Hashanah?

For that matter, what do you know about any of the roots of our Judeo-Christian ethic? Do you pray for the nation of Israel? Do you pray for Jerusalem? Do you understand the importance of the Jewish holy days? Do you realize that the prophesies that Jesus fulfilled all took place on the Jewish holy days that represented what He was actually doing? For this very reason, many people pay attention to the Jewish calendar since it is the basis for all things that have unfolded through Jesus up to this point.

Rosh Hashanah begins at sun down on Wednesday of this year. It literally means the “Head of the Year” and is often called the Jewish New Year. It is also looked upon as the anniversary of the creation of Adam and Eve.

There is so much to our faith that is not known simply because we, the Body of Christ, have chosen to ignore the history of the foundation of God’s Word.

I venture to say that we would be very surprised at the correlation of our current understanding with the historical understanding. Each can shed new light on the other. For example, we all know that Jesus is the bread of life, but did you know that Bethlehem translates as “the house of bread?”

There is so much that we should know about our Jewish history.

I can hear too many of you thinking that you are not Jewish so why should it matter.

Who was Jesus?

What lineage did He come from?

What lineage are His followers grafted into?

Where will Jesus physically return?

Do you know the family history of the troubles in the Middle East?

There is so much of what we believe that owes its existence to Israel, yet, too many of us don’t even realize that we worship a living Savior who came to this earth through the blood lines of Israel.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!

Copyright 1998 – 2014 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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