Gems worth pondering
April 4
"Jesus asked them, saying, What think ye of Christ? Whose Son is He?"
(Matthew 22:41,42)
In this scripture we are confronted with the most important question we'll ever have to answer. Unless we believe that Jesus Christ is the virgin-born Son of God who came from Heaven to be our Redeemer, we will die in our sin (John 8:23-59).
Paging through the New Testament, we find several replies to the inquiry, "What think ye of Christ?" Ponder a few of them. "Caiaphas, what's your opinion of Jesus?" "He's a blasphemer because He said, 'Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting oh the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven' " (Matthew 26:64). "Pilate, what do you say?" 'I find in Him no fault at all' " (John 18:38). "And you, Judas, who sold your Master for 30 pieces of silver, have you some serious charge to hurl against Him?" 'I have sinned in that I have betrayed innocent blood' " (Matthew 27:4). Although Pilate and Judas were right in what they said, their actions made it clear that they rejected Christ.
Other men took a totally different view of the Saviour. Note the words of John the Baptist who declared, "Behold the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). The apostle Peter said of his Master, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matthew 16:16). Thomas, who was the doubter among the disciples, ends up with a strong personal testimony, exclaiming with renewed faith, "My Lord and my God" (John 20:28).
Let me ask with heartfelt concern, "What do YOU think of Christ?" Your eternal destiny depends on your answer to this all-important question. (H.G.B.)
What will you do with Jesus? Neutral you cannot be;
Someday your heart will be asking, "What will He do with me?
(Simpson)
Christ is the unavoidable One; your decision about Him determines your destiny!
N.J. Hiebert # 3664
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Our Daily Bread, RBC Ministries, Copyright, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted permission.
April 5
"He (Peter) was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me."
(Matthew 14:30)
Peter's cry of distress is one of the shortest prayers of the Bible. There are three significant thing about it.
- First, it was brief - quite different from some of our prayers in public.
- Then, it was fervent. He desperately asked for a specific thing - not everything in general.
- Finally, it was effective; it reached the Lord's ear and He met Peter's urgent need.
Could those who pray and who lead God's people in prayer profit from this? (R.J. Steele)
N.J. Hiebert # 3665
