Everyone

Everyone is looking for eternal life

We can never earn it, not through work or strife

I cannot deserve it, it is not from me

Gift of God, through Jesus, it is truly free.

 

Everyone has sinned and fallen very short

We don't have God's character, nor do what we ought

We have broken God's law, that is what is sin

It has changed our thinking, changed us deep within.

 

Everyone is thinking, they know what to do

Sin has screwed their thinking, their way won't get through

Their choices are leading to eternal death

Hope is what they're needing before their last breath.

 

Everyone come listen, hear how God is love

He gave His son, Jesus, from heaven above

To close up the barrier that sin has made

He gave His life for our sins, He made a trade.

 

Everyone keep listening, he took humanity

God from eternity made all you can see

But came down to this earth to take on our sin

To die the death for us, His beloved kin.

 

Everyone is wondering, what do we do now

We need to have Jesus, but you're asking how

Believe Him, accept Him, undergo new birth

Abiding in Jesus, you'll reach the new earth. 

Inspired by Lesson 1 of the Come Alive with Jesus Bible Study series - Being Born: A New Relationship with Jesus.

The Power of a Testimony

"Go away! Leave us alone! We don't want to have anything to do with you!" the people cried.

Turning away from the people, Jesus starts getting back into the boat. 

"Wait, let me go with you," a man cries, "please"!

Jesus turns with compassionate eyes on the man who has just been healed. "No", he firmly replies. "No, go home to your family, and tell them everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been."

Turning around, the man immediately starts off on his mission. He goes around and visits the Ten Towns of that region and begins to proclaim the great things Jesus has done for him.

As a result of his testimony, everyone is amazed. 

Follow the arrows from dark to light

In the meantime, Jesus passes back to the other side of the lake to Capernaum and raises Jairus' daughter from the dead. Then Jesus travels to Nazareth where he is also rejected. Jesus then goes from village to village, teaching the people. He also sends out his twelve disciples in pairs to share about him and to bless the people by healing the sick and casting out evil spirits. After they return from their missionary journeys, Jesus takes them to a quiet place near Bethsaida to rest awhile, but people follow them and here he ends up feeding the 5,000 men with their families. Jesus sends his disciples away by boat to Bethsaida and comes walking to them on the water during the night. After crossing the lake, they land at Gennesaret where Jesus heals many people and speaks to the Jewish leaders about inner purity. From there, Jesus travels north to the region of Tyre. Here, Jesus casts a devil out of a Gentile girl in response to her mother's faith in him. Then Jesus leaves Tyre and goes up to Sidon before going back to the Sea of Galilee and the region of the Ten Towns.

Ah, so now Jesus is back where we started our story. This time a large crowd gather to listen to him. They are receptive this time. They have heard the testimony of the man who was possessed with the evil spirits. They bring a deaf man to Jesus and beg him to heal him. Jesus heals the man and the people are completely amazed and say again and again, "Everything he does is wonderful. He even makes the deaf to hear and gives speech to those who cannot speak."

The people stay there for three days with Jesus and run out of food. Jesus feels sorry for them and gathers together the seven loaves and few small fish which they have left and multiply it so that there is enough to feed the 4,000 men and their families which are gathered there. After everyone has eaten enough, they gather together seven large baskets of leftover food and then Jesus sends them all home. 

Wow, what a turnaround! From rejection to acceptance. What made the difference? The sharing of a personal testimony. The man didn't know much about God, but he did know what God had done for him so he shared that. That opened the way for Jesus to return and share more.

Story from Mark 5:17 - 8:9. Image generated using Advent AI.

Faithfulness to Commitment

Thirteen weeks! Christmas day marked the completion of thirteen weeks of workouts. Thirteen weeks ago I committed to doing workouts five days per week to improve my overall health and tone my body. I have been faithful to that commitment and I intend to continue doing so. Although it has been quite tough at times, I have had good support from my husband and other family members and I have relied on God's strength. It is He that has enabled me to be faithful to my commitment. 

While our faithfulness to our commitments is often unreliable, God is always faithful.

He always stands by his covenant—
the commitment he made to a thousand generations.

Psalm 105:8 NLT 

This verse is particularly referring to the commitment that God made to Abraham that He would give him the land of Canaan. While it took many years, and many trials, the people did receive the land in the end and God blessed them so much along the way. He arranged for Joseph to be in charge of the food in Egypt in preparation for the famine. He sent the Israelites into Egypt, into the best part of the land, during the time of the famine so that they would have food to eat. He multiplied them while they were in Egypt so that they became a great nation. He performed many miracles to bring them out of Egypt. He compelled the Egyptians to give all their valuables to the Israelites when they left Egypt. He miraculously brought them through the Red Sea and sustained them in the wilderness for forty years with food that miraculously came from heaven. He provided water for the people throughout their wanderings, even bringing water from a rock. He did so much for them, even giving them crops ready to harvest when they arrived in the promised land.

He gave his people the lands of pagan nations,
and they harvested crops that others had planted.

Psalm 105:44 NLT

God is always faithful and He has committed to give us the promised land, a new earth.

“Look! I am creating new heavens and a new earth,
and no one will even think about the old ones anymore.

Isaiah 65:17 NLT

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am."

John 14:1-3 NLT

God has proven His faithfulness in the past, He continues to prove His faithfulness in the present, we can trust Him to be faithful in the future.