ODJ Tuesday September 9, 2008

do you know him?

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Ephesians 1:16-23:

"16I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 17I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better. 18I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, 19and His incomparable great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of His mighty strength, 20which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms, 21far above all rule and authority, power and dominion , and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22And God placed all things under His feet and appointed Him to be head over everything for the church, 23which is His body, and the fullness of Him who fills everything in every way.

Whom do you know better: Jesus, or Tom Cruise? Whose stock portfolio would you rather have: Jesus', or Tiger Woods'? What do you spend more time memorizing: the words of Jesus, or Christians pop songs? What do you know about Jesus' life on earth- besides His birth and death?

The Bible doesn't tell us everything. In fact, its pages are silent about Jesus between the ages of 12 and about 30. Did you ever wonder what kind of teenager He was? How He relaxed after a day's work? What He made with His carpenter hands? We know He created the universe, so His work was most likely beautiful, creative, unique.

The most important knowledge we can have of Jesus is to know Him as our Savior- the One who died and rose again. The One who took the punishment that should have been ours so that we could have His righteousness. The One who is in Heaven preparing a place for us to spend eternity.

Paul conveyed how important it is to know what Jesus' life was all about. "I know the One in whom I trust, and I am sure that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until the day of His return" (2 Timothy 1:12). How could he be anything but confident in the One who "broke the power of death and illuminated the way to life and immortality through the Good News"? (v.10). It;s hard to have confidence in someone you hardly know.

Is Jesus your confidence? You may know Him as Savior, but what does He really mean to you?

- Tracy Carbaugh

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John 14:2-3:

"2In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am."

2 Corinthians 5:21:

God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.

1 Thessalonians 4:14:

We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him.

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What draws you closer to Jesus? How will you declare you love for Him today?