datethewordtest

Author: admin

  • Verse to DATE the Word on July 28 (7/28) is Matthew 7:28

    “And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the
    people were amazed at His teaching.” – Matthew 7:28
    An Amazing Response to an AMAZING MESSAGE

    Matthew, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, writes for us in Matthew chapters 5, 6, and 7 the sermon Jesus preached on the mount just above the Sea of Galilee.  We call it the Sermon on the Mount.  After writing what Jesus taught Matthew now writes how the people responded, writing that they were AMAZED.  In some translations, you will find they were ASTONISHED.  I am more prone to go with the word AMAZED as it conveys the idea of being STRUCK by something brilliant or phenomenal.  A. T. Robertson said the Greek word conveys “they listened spellbound to the end and were left amazed.”     

    What brought about this amazement?  We are told in Matthew 7:29 they were amazed at such teaching because Jesus spoke with authority.  As Jesus taught, He said what He meant, and He meant what He said.  He addressed the religious issues of that day with conviction.  He taught what a real relationship with God looked like.   His teaching challenged conventional thinking and His teaching stirred up inward conflict. For instance, while He taught how to pray He also taught how not to pray.  Several times He challenged the religious thinking of the day by saying, “But I say unto you.”  He definitely taught with authority.

    By Jesus teaching with authority, there was a spirit of amazement for they knew they had heard truth.

    As you approach God’s Word, I encourage you to be ATTENTIVE and seek to ACQUIRE the truth that it conveys about God and about humanity, about you.  As I approach His Word with humility and hunger, I find nuggets of wisdom and jewels of truth that do bring about amazement, and a sense of being struck with brilliance.  His Word is a light and lamp to see the righteous path to walk thus avoiding the wicked, destructive path.  His Word is like milk and meat that feeds our souls.  His Word will pierce down to the root areas of sinfulness to root out the sin.  While His Word does convict it also calls for confession that leads to cleansing.  His Word provides comfort to the brokenhearted.    In His Word is a word for you!  

    Our verse to DATE the Word on July 28 (7/28) is Matthew 7:28. It says, “And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were amazed at His teaching,”

    How have you lately been responding to God’s Word as you read it and hear it?  

    Continue Strong being AMAZED at what God has to say to you,
    And remember to DATE the Word

    BTW – there is a great prayer to pray as you approach God’s Word that is found in Psalm 119:18.  It says, “Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.”  Maybe pray,  “Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous, wonderful, amazing things out of your law.”

  • Verse to DATE the Word on July 27 (7/27) is Ezra 7:27

    “Blessed be the LORD God of our fathers, who has put such a thing as this in the king’s heart, to beautify the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem,” – Ezra 7:27
    In reading Ezra 7, we learn how King Artaxerxes allowed God’s people to return to Jerusalem and authorized those who went to RESTORE the HOUSE of the LORD.  As Ezra reports what the King has authorized him and other Jewish leaders to do one might expect him to pause and say something like “God save the King.”  Instead, Ezra will break from reporting what the King has told them to do to extend gratitude and praise to the LORD GOD and give Him credit for putting into the king’s heart to do this great work. 

    As I look at this verse two things stand out.  One is how Ezra did acknowledge God for His work in the king’s heart. I trust you have an eye to see the invisible hand of God at work as you seek to do His work.  On my journey, I have time and again been amazed at how God was working and working even when I did not know I needed Him to be working.  

    A second thing I like about this verse is the word “beautify.”  God put in the king’s heart to make His house look beautiful.  I don’t know how you define beauty but for me, it has the idea of something that has been done with excellence.  It does not have to be expensive to be beautiful though beauty does take intentional effort.  

    So, in considering Ezra 7:27 are you alert to see God at work and then to acknowledge and praise the Lord for His invisible hand working for you?  
    As well, do you look to make things that involve God’s work beautiful?   

    Verse to DATE the Word on July 27 (7/27) is Ezra 7:27. It says, “Blessed be the LORD God of our fathers, who has put such a thing as this in the king’s heart, to beautify the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem,”

    How have you seen God working lately through someone else that has impacted something you have been wanting to accomplish?

    Continue Strong trusting God to be working,
    And remember to DATE the Word
     

  • Verse to DATE the Word on July 26 (7/26) is Matthew 7:26

    “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them,
    will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.” – Matthew 7:26
    You KNEW Better!

    The conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount that Jesus Christ preached does not end as we think of sermons ending.  Instead of presenting an invitation, Jesus will be straightforward and to the point that failure to put into action what He has taught will bring about dire and devastating consequences.   He lets the listener, now the reader, know that it is going to matter how one RESPONDS to His teaching.  

    As we have opportunities to get to know God’s Word by reading it and hearing it, opportunities to learn, and even have in-depth Bible studies of God’s Word we must know that is not enough. One is called to TAKE ACTION! One is called to APPLY THE WORD!  As one LEARNS, one is to LIVE. There is to be the implementation of the instructions.

    In order to get the listener’s attention, Jesus gives a very negative characterization by saying this person who is just listening but not living, hearing but not doing, is FOOLISH (GK – a moron).  He then gives a scary picture of a house built on sand that is going to encounter a storm and the house will be unable to withstand the winds and the rain.   

    Picture the picture He paints of the FOOLISH person.  You can see a house.  You can see that it is sitting on shifting sand and the house is very unstable.  With the first wave and/or wind this house surely will collapse.   This is the picture Jesus wants you to have when you are learning the Word of God BUT then not applying it to your life.   

    Making this practical I think one of the sternest rebukes a person can hear is “YOU KNEW BETTER!”  When I hear that statement, I think of Matthew 7:26. The person had learned but did not live. The person had been taught but did not apply. The person HEARD but did not move to be a DOER.  The person KNEW BETTER.  These are sad words that should not be spoken of us! 

    Is there a spiritual truth that you are neglecting, maybe even rejecting? Is there a spiritual truth you have learned, but presently you are not living?  Hear the words of Jesus and Be a DOER of the Word!

    Verse to DATE the Word on July 26 (7/26) is Matthew 7:26. It says, “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.”

    Don’t be a moron!

    Continue Strong as a DOER of the Word,
    And remember to DATE the Word

    Bonus – you might recall the children’s song about the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount.  It was a song I sang as child.  The wise man built his house upon the Rock,
    The wise man built his house upon the Rock,
    The wise man built his house upon the Rock,
    And the rains came tumbling down.
    The rains came down and the floods came up,
    The rains came down and the floods came up,
    The rains came down and the floods came up,
    But the house on the Rock stood firm.The foolish man built his house upon the sand,
    The foolish man built his house upon the sand,
    The foolish man built his house upon the sand,
    And the rains came tumbling down.
    The rains came down and the floods came up,
    The rains came down and the floods came up,
    The rains came down and the floods came up,
    And the house on the sand fell flat.So build your life on the Lord Jesus Christ,
    So build your life on the Lord Jesus Christ,
    So build your life on the Lord Jesus Christ,
    And the blessings will come down.
    The blessings come down as your prayers go up,
    The blessings come down as your prayers go up,
    The blessings come down as your prayers go up,
    So build your life on the Lord.

  • Verse to DATE the Word on July 25 (7/25) is Hebrews 7:25

    “Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” – Hebrews 7:25
    Our Savior who saves us is able to secure our salvation!

    When we think of the positions and works of Jesus Christ we are to include His ascension.  Upon completing His work given to Him by His Heavenly Father to do on earth, Jesus returns to heaven where He sits down at the right hand of the Father.  In this new position, He is our great High Priest of whom we come boldly to the throne of grace to get help. (Heb. 4:14-16) He serves as our advocate based on 1 John 2:1. We learn here in Hebrews 7:25 that He also intercedes for us. 

    Pause to imagine that Jesus is right now PRAYING for you!  He undertakes your causes and concerns and cares and conflicts, and He makes intercession for you.  He secures for you strength and grace to move forward.  

    When we consider our great salvation provided by our compassionate and loving Savior we need to know and must know that He who began a good work in us will complete it.  Because He is alive having risen from the dead, He has the power to fend off any foe that would seek to prevent the completion of our salvation. An earthly priest did not have such power.  The writer says He is able to save to the UTTERMOST.  The idea of uttermost is far greater than forever.  He is able to save COMPLETELY.  There will never be any abandonment of a child of God.  

    Placing our faith in Jesus Christ for salvation is the wisest decision you could ever make for only He can provide a safe and secure salvation. We are safe and secure in the hands of the Savior!! What He starts He finishes! What a salvation and more importantly WHAT A SAVIOR!! Worthy is the Lamb!!

    Verse to DATE the Word on July 25 (7/25) is Hebrews 7:25. It says, “Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.”

    Continue Strong knowing Jesus is praying for you,
    And remember to DATE the Word
     

  • Verse to DATE the Word on July 24 (7/24) is Matthew 7:24

    “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken
    him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:” – Matthew 7:24
    Matthew 7:24 begins the conclusion of the greatest sermon ever preached called the SERMON ON THE MOUNT.  Jesus Christ started His ministry in Galilee and He has taken (I love how the Message says it) His climbing companions (Mt. 5:2) up on a mount overlooking the Sea of Galilee.  Here He will teach then and what He taught is presented to us in Matthew 5, 6, and 7. 

    As this sermon wraps up, we learn much about the expectations of Jesus regarding what He has taught. He tells the listeners to be more than listeners and be DOERS of His sermon. For Jesus, there is to be an APPLICATION of the INSTRUCTIONS.  His message is not merely INFORMATION but indeed they are INSTRUCTIONS for living life the way God intended life to be lived.  

    To drive home the point of the importance of BEING A DOER Jesus will use an illustration where one would build a house.  As well as give a vivid characteristic of a person based on their actions toward His instructions. The one who TAKES ACTIONS, and APPLIES His teaching is considered WISE as opposed to being FOOLISH.  To illustrate how this person is wise He says they are like a person deciding to build a house on solid ground!  Those who are listening and then DOING are building their life on SOLID GROUND that will withstand the storms of life.

    On the other hand, He will point out that those who only listen and do not put into action are like fools who build their homes on the sand, which easily shifts, providing no security. 

    How about you? Are you a DOER or just a hearer of the Word?  Are you a learner who LIVES what you are learning?  Are you a wise person who applies the Word of God so that your life will be being built on a solid foundation?

    As I consider Matthew 7:24 I find myself having a personal concern as well as a concern for you that read this devotion.  That concern is that we would be educated in the Word of God beyond our obedience.  While being blessed to have the knowledge of God’s Word we may very well not be applying the knowledge. Are you educated beyond your obedience? 

    Verse to DATE the Word on July 24 (7/24) is Matthew 7:24. It says, “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:”  

    BTW – God did not just give us His Word for information but for TRANSFORMATION and TRANSFORMATION only happens with APPLICATION!

    Continue Strong being a DOER of the Word,
    And remember to DATE the Word

  • Verse to DATE the Word on July 23 (7/23) is Jeremiah 7:23

    “But this is what I commanded them, saying, ‘Obey My voice, and I will be
    your God, and you shall be My people. And walk in all the ways that I have
    commanded you, that it may be well with you.” – Jeremiah 7:23
    Trust and Obey

    Our wonderful, loving, great, and glorious God looks for His people to OBEY! It is a theme spoken over and over.  The first time we see God’s call to obey Him is in Exodus as from Exodus 19:5 we read “Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine.”  Throughout Deuteronomy, one will read of the calls to OBEY God.  Here are but a few examples:
    Deut. 12:28  “Observe and obey all these words which I command you, that it may go well with you and your children after you forever, when you do [what is] good and right in the sight of the LORD your God.
    Deut. 13:4  “You shall walk after the LORD your God and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice, and you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him.
    Deut. 15:5  “Only if you carefully obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe with care all these commandments which I command you today.

    Obedience opens doors of blessings while disobedience brings burdens accompanied by heartache and pain which sometimes comes from the discipline of God, but more often from the very consequences of the sin.  

    When it comes to how much God VALUES obedience, we only have to read what Samuel said to King Saul in I Samuel 15:22. It reads, “Then Samuel said: “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,..”  OBEDIENCE IS BETTER THAN SACRIFICE.
     
    Our God also wants us to walk in His ways. We are not to walk the ways of the world or surely not in the selfish ways of our own hearts.   To walk in His ways is to WALK WITH HIM and to WALK LIKE HIM!

    Are you obeying His commands? Are you walking in the ways of God?

    Sometimes as I read a verse a song comes to mind and with Jeremiah 7:23 I can’t help but think of Trust and Obey.  Here is a portion of that hymn:
    When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word What a glory He sheds on our way!
    While we do His good will, He abides with us still And with all who will trust and obey!
    Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet Or we’ll walk by His side in the way
    What He says we will do, where He sends we will go Never fear, only trust and obey!
    Trust and obey, for there’s no other way To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey!

    Verse to DATE the Word on July 23 (7/23) is Jeremiah 7:23. It says, “But this is what I commanded them, saying, ‘Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people. And walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you.”

    Obedience opens doors of BLESSINGS!  Disobedience brings burdens!

    Continue Strong trusting and OBEYING GOD,
    And remember to DATE the Word
     

  • Verse to DATE the Word on July 22 (7/22) is 2 Samuel 7:22

    “Therefore You are great, O LORD GOD. For there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears.” – 2 Samuel 7:22
    How Great is our God!

    A consideration of God brings an immediate conclusion of His GREATNESS, as in there is no one like Him, no one even close. We now use the word “GOAT” to describe a person in sports as the GREATEST OF ALL TIME. That title is temporary.  As well that title might be shared.  But when we consider God He is the one and the only GREATEST OF ALL TIME!

    Notice a few other verses that tell us of God being the GREATEST:
    Psalm 145:3 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; And His greatness is unsearchable.
    *Our great God should be praised greatly!  How might you do that?
    Deuteronomy 10:17 For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God.
    Psalm 95:3 For the Lord is the great God, and a great King above all gods.
    Psalm 147:5 Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; His understanding is beyond measure.

    These are but a few verses to teach us (remind us) that GOD IS GREAT!!

    In considering the greatness of God it is really hard for me not to consider the Hymn HOW GREAT THOU ART.  I hope you pause to read (sing) 
    Oh Lord, my God when I, in awesome wonder 
    Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made:
    I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder
    Thy power throughout the universe displayed!
    Chorus – Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee
    How great Thou art, how great Thou art
    Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee
    How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
    And when I think that God, His Son not sparing
    Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in
    That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing
    He bled and died to take away my sin!
    Chorus – Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee
    How great Thou art, how great Thou art
    Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee
    How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
    When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation
    And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart
    Then I shall bow, in humble adoration
    And then proclaim, my God, how great Thou art!
    Chorus – Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee
    How great Thou art, how great Thou art
    Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee
    How great Thou art, how great Thou art
     
    Verse to DATE on July 22 (722) is 2 Samuel 7:22. It says, “Therefore You are great, O LORD GOD. For there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears.”

    Having a little fun what other words beginning with the letter G would you use to describe our GREAT God?

    Continue Strong considering HOW GREAT GOD IS,
    And remember to DATE the Word

  • Verse to DATE the Word on July 21 (7/21) is Deuteronomy 7:21

    “You shall not be terrified of them; for the LORD your God, the great 
    and awesome God, is among you.” – Deuteronomy 7:21
    OUR GOD IS A GREAT AND AWESOME GOD!! 

    GREAT and AWESOME are two extraordinary descriptive words for our God. Here they are used to reveal to His people what He can do as they face enemies as they go into the Promised Land. Before them would be numerous enemies with great numbers who were very powerful and would easily strike fear into their hearts.  Because of this God lets them know WHO WOULD BE WITH THEM!  Because of WHO He was and what He could do His people would not need to be afraid of anyone or anything.  

    Interestingly these words are used by Nehemiah as he is leading God’s people to rebuild the wall and they are facing enemies. In Nehemiah 4:14 it says Nehemiah “looked and arose and said to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes.” 

    The challenge to God’s people was very personal to Nehemiah as he himself had remembered that God was great and awesome when he began praying about needing God to rebuild Jerusalem. As he prayed he acknowledged God as great and awesome. (Nehemiah 1:5 And I said, “O LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome.”)  Knowing WHO God was and what God could do strengthened Nehemiah’s faith to trust God to do the miraculous. 

    It is ESSENTIAL for you to be GROWING IN KNOWLEDGE of who God is as it impacts how you think about God!! You must know that:
    HOW YOU THINK ABOUT GOD DETERMINES HOW YOU PRAY. 
    HOW YOU THINK ABOUT GOD DETERMINES HOW YOU LIVE.
    HOW YOU THINK ABOUT GOD DETERMINES HOW YOU DO the WORK the MINISTRY! 

    How are you presently thinking about God as you face challenges?  How does the knowledge of who God is and what God does as revealed in Deuteronomy 7:21 help you?

    Verse to DATE the Word on July 21 (7/21) is Deuteronomy 7:21. It says, “You shall not be terrified of them; for the LORD your God, the great and awesome God, is among you.”

    As you face this day what characteristic(s) of God do you need to meditate on?  Be sure to meditate on the attributes of GREAT and AWESOME.

    Continue strong knowing how GREAT and AWESOME God is,
    And remember to DATE THE WORD

    BTW –  As I was growing up I watched the cartoon show UNDERDOG.  It was one of my favorites.  Underdog loved to let people know to HAVE NO FEAR, UNDERDOG IS HERE.  For us as believers, we have Someone far greater than a cartoon figure named UNDERDOG who is telling us to HAVE NO FEAR as the GREAT AND AWESOME GOD IS HERE!

  • Verse to DATE the Word on July 20 (7/20) is Ecclesiastes 7:20

    “For there is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin.” – Ecclesiastes 7:20
    STATUS: SINNER. A Sinner in NEED of a SAVIOR.

    As Christians, we believe that ALL HAVE SINNED and COME SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD.  Christianity believes every human being is a SINNER.  The significance of this belief leads us to state that every human being is in need of a SAVIOR.  NUMEROUS Scriptures back up our premise of this belief including our verse for July 20. 

    Along with Ecclesiastes 7:20, other verses convey this essential, non-negotiable Biblical truth:
    Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
    Romans 3:10  As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one;
    James 2:10  For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.
    Psalm 14:3  They have all turned aside, They have together become corrupt; There is none who does good, No, not one.
    Isaiah 53:6  All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way, and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
    Isaiah 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are as filthy rags, and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

    Our status is without any doubt that of being a sinner.  And as a sinner, we are separated from God and face a PENALTY as Romans 6:23 states “For the wages of sin is death.”

    Yet our status of being a SINNER, thankfully, can be changed because there is a SAVIOR!!  After the bad news there comes some VERY GOOD NEWS.   Notice a few of those good news verses:
    Romans 5:8  But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
    Romans 6:23  For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
    Matthew 1:21  “And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.”
    John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
    1 Corinthians 15:3  For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4  and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, 
    2 Corinthians 5:21  For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

    To have your status changed you need to personally ask Jesus to be your Savior.  
    Romans 10:9 says, that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10  For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
    13  For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”

    Verse to DATE the Word on July 20 (7/20) is Ecclesiastes 7:20   It says, “For there is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin.” 

    What a reminder of what humanity’s status is but also to know that status can change because of Jesus Christ.  What a reminder that we need to share Jesus so a person’s status can change from sinner to saint!

    Continue strong grateful for the status change our Savior provides,
    And remember to DATE the Word

  • Verse to DATE the Word on July 19 (7/19) is Luke 7:19

    “And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to Jesus, asking,
    “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?” – Luke 7:19
    Difficulties Raise Doubts

    The very best of the followers of Jesus can go through incredibly difficult times and as those difficulties mount so do the possibilities of doubt mounting.  John the Baptist was one of the very best.  He was the forerunner to the Messiah and in John 1:29 he made the announcement of announcements when he “saw Jesus coming toward him,” he boldly and clearly PROCLAIMED “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”  

    However, as John did his assigned ministry, he found himself in jail with a pending execution soon to come because he had made it clear to King Herod that “It was not lawful for him to have his brother’s wife.” The woman was named Herodias. Herodias was furious that the prophet of God had pointed out their sin and she wanted John the Baptist executed. YIKES!!!

    Sitting in jail John the Baptist begins to have doubts.  He begins to have doubts about Jesus and whether Jesus was really who he had proclaimed Jesus to be.  He calls his disciples to go and ask Jesus “Are You the Coming One or (fastening your seatbelts) OR do we look for another?”   DOUBLE YIKES!!!!  The difficulty that John found himself in raised a huge doubt about WHO JESUS WAS.  John the Baptist is doubting.  He is unsure.  One of the best now has on his resume that he DOUBTED. 

    I will go one more step.  That he QUESTIONED what he believed.

    Have you ever doubted since you got saved?  Have you ever doubted that God has your best interest in mind?  Have you questioned what you believe?

    Have you ever talked with someone who is in the dungeon of doubt?  

    I am thinking the answer to both my above questions is yes.  I can tell you that my answer to both is yes.  

    To DATE Luke 7:19 is to know that John the Baptist was honest with his thoughts, and his doubts.  In the dungeon of doubt, he sent word to JESUS.  Don’t miss that.  Please don’t miss this.  He sent word to Jesus that he was having doubts. 

    To DATE Luke 7:19 is to also know how Jesus responded. 
    Notice Luke 7:20-23 “When the men had come to Him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to You, saying, ‘Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?” 21 And that very hour He cured many of infirmities, afflictions, and evil spirits; and to many blind He gave sight. 22 Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them. 23  “And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.”

    How did Jesus respond?  With a scathing rebuke? No  With profound disappointment?  No.  He answered John’s doubts with Scripture.  Don’t miss this!  I say He answered with Scripture because what Jesus told John’s disciples to tell John was that the prophesied ministry of the Messiah was being fulfilled.  In other words, He answered John’s question with YES, I am the coming one and NO, you do not need to look for another one.

    Difficulties have the very real potential to raise DOUBT.  You may have them.  Family and friends and those in your fellowship may have them.  When you or they have them remember John the Baptist. And remember how he took his doubts to Jesus and remember how Jesus responded by pointing John to the Scriptures.   Why the Scriptures?  Because faith quenches doubts! Remember Romans 10:17.  It says, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.”

    Verse to DATE the Word on July 19 (7/19) is Luke 7:19 and it says, “And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to Jesus, asking, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?”

    Be honest as doubt mounts.  Bring the questions to Jesus.  

    Continue Strong taking all doubts to Jesus,
    And remember to DATE the Word 

    BTW – Drown your doubts by soaking yourself in the Scriptures.