Put on the Lord Jesus Christ

Put on the Lord Jesus Christ

Romans 13:14 says:

“But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.”

And Galatians 3:27 says:

“For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”

As I think about those words, “put on the Lord Jesus Christ,” I picture getting spiritually dressed for the day.

But how do we put on Jesus?

First, we put our faith in Jesus alone and follow Him alone. We don't want to put on the values of this world, worldly philosophies, or false religion. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”

As we seek Jesus in prayer and devote ourselves to His teachings in the New Testament, His character and His ways begin to shape how we live.

And we don't do this in our own strength. The Holy Spirit works in us, helping us become more like Jesus.

So, let's get spiritually dressed today. Let's seek Jesus in prayer and ask Him to help us live in a way that brings glory to His name.

Focus On Jesus

Focus On Jesus

Isaiah 26:3–4 (KJV)

"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:"

As I thought about this Bible verse, I was reminded that keeping our minds focused on Jesus is our daily calling.

Whether we're waking up and having that first cup of coffee, heading off to work, or facing the challenges that come with each day, we can keep our minds focused on Jesus, trusting our God to provide and guide us as He sees fit.

And speaking of perfect peace, let's remember what it says in Philippians 4:6–7:

"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

I believe that peace comes from trusting that we love and serve a sovereign God—the One who is, and who was, and who is to come; the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God who sent us Messiah Jesus.

Consider this: If God loved us so much that He sent His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, to take the punishment for our sins, die, and rise from the dead, assuring believers of eternal life with Him in paradise, then we can trust Him with the details of today and with our entire lives.

May our hearts look heavenward and our minds be stayed on our Creator this day.

Our Wonderful Counselor

Our Wonderful Counselor

Isaiah 9:6 (ESV)

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

A lot of us have had counselors at one time or another. In school, a guidance counselor is there for students. There are counselors at summer camp, licensed professional counselors for mental health, marriage and family counselors, substance abuse counselors, rehabilitation counselors, and the list goes on.

But think about this: believers in Jesus have the ultimate, best Counselor in the universe!

Jesus, our Counselor, speaks to us through His Word in the Bible, where we find counsel for all of life's challenges. He speaks to our hearts. He makes His presence known to us.

And our Counselor does something really neat. He is with us 24 hours a day. He never leaves us or forsakes us. Today, we can trust His guidance as we live as His followers.

Let's look to our Wonderful Counselor right now.

We Live for Only One King

We Live for Only One King

1 Samuel 8:6–7 (ESV)

“But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, ‘Give us a king to judge us.’ And Samuel prayed to the LORD. And the LORD said to Samuel, ‘Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.’”

This true account of Israel rejecting God as their King should be a sober reminder to us today to keep our eyes on our King and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Here are some Bible verses that emphasize Jesus as our King.

The wise men recognized Jesus as King.

Matthew 2:2:

“Saying, ‘Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star when it rose and have come to worship Him.’”

Jesus told Pilate that He was King.

John 18:37:

“Then Pilate said to Him, ‘So you are a king?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born, and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.’”

And let's remember that the final victory belongs to King Jesus.

Revelation 17:14:

“They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with Him are called and chosen and faithful.”

And we read God has highly exalted our King Jesus.

Philippians 2:9–11:

“Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

As we reflect on these Scriptures, we are reminded that we live for only one King: Jesus Christ. He is our Savior, our Lord, and the One we are called to follow.

The question is not whether Jesus is King. He is King! The question is whether we are living in submission to Him, trusting Him, and following His Word.

May we never make the mistake of rejecting His authority in favor of the ways of this world. Our allegiance belongs to Jesus Christ alone.

Is Jesus your King? If not, place your faith in Jesus alone and follow only Jesus.