Month: April 2026

Happy Easter, SAVIOR

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The final name of God for today is Savior. It is the most precious of all to every believer. Without our Savior, Jesus, dying for our sins we would be lost and under condemnation of death. There is no way to be good enough to atone for our sins, it’s not possible. Jesus made the way by being the sacrifice on the cross for each of us so that we may be reconciled to God. When God looks down upon us, He does not see our sin but the blood of Jesus covering us. How precious and wonderful is that! Here are some precious verses about our Lord and Savior.

Isaiah 43:11 “I, I am the Lord, and besides me there is no savior. God had a plan from the beginning to save us!

Luke 2:11 “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. He arrived as our promised Savior, coming as a babe in a Bethlehem manger.

Titus 2:13-14  “waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” Precious Jesus not only saved us, but He purified and claimed us for His own. He has good works for us to do when we belong to Him.

1 John 4:13-15 “ By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.” Our precious Savior gave us His Spirit to indwell us so we can stay in communion with Him and the Father.

Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I am redeemed, rescued from sin’s penalty, claimed by Him and living with His Spirit within me. Thank you Jesus!

May the Spirit of our resurrected Lord live within you each and every day so that you feel His love and know the power of His redemption upon your life. In Him is Salvation for each of us! Happy Easter!

Linda

Redeemer is His Name to Me!

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Do you know God as your Redeemer?  In the Old Testament God refers to himself as Redeemer in Isaiah 44:24 “Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer,  who formed you from the womb: “I am the Lord, who made all things,  who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself,”   Because God is creator of all things, only He has the power to redeem, buy back or save His creation.   If you know God as your Savior and Redeemer you are in the know just like Job, David, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Zachariah and Paul who referred to God as their Redeemer.  Read their powerful words and claim them for yourself.

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Job 19:25-26 “For I know that my Redeemer lives,      
    and at the last he will stand upon the earth.
26 And after my skin has been thus destroyed,
    yet in my flesh I shall see God,”      Job knew the eternal God as his Redeemer.

Psalm 19:14 “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
    be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.”     David knew God was his Redeemer and desired to be humble before Him.

Isaiah 47:4 “Our Redeemer—the Lord of hosts is his name— is the Holy One of Israel.”    Isaiah knew God as his Redeemer and revered His name.

Luke 1:68 ““Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people.”    Zachariah prophesied the coming of Jesus as our Redeemer.

Galatians 3:13 “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.”   Paul knew that Jesus’ death on the cross redeemed us from the curse of sin.

What about you?  Can you say that God is your Redeemer?   We like to save money by using coupons as we shop.  They help us to redeem more for our money than we deserve.  Jesus did that for us by paying the full price for our sin on the cross.  We are able to be redeemed as we put our trust and faith in Him knowing He is always faithful to carry out His work within us.  Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can know Jesus as my Redeemer and depend upon the power of His blood to redeem me before Almighty God.

Linda

My Man of Sorrows, Thank You Jesus

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There is only one place where God in the person of Jesus the Christ was referred to as a man of sorrows. It was written of Him in Isaiah 53, when Isaiah was describing the suffering servant of God that was to come. He told where he came from and what would happen to him. Isaiah 53:2-4

For he grew up before him like a young plant,
    and like a root out of dry ground; He grew up as a regular man.
he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
    and no beauty that we should desire him.


3 He was despised and rejected by men,
    a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces He knew the hard things of life and was rejected.
    he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 Surely he has borne our griefs
    and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken, He took the punishment for our sins.
    smitten by God, and afflicted.

These verses describe Jesus as the suffering servant. In Matthew 20:17-19 Jesus describes what is about to take place. “Now Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. On the way, he took the Twelve aside and said to them, 18 “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death 19 and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!” Many references call Jesus the cornerstone of our faith. Acts 4:11 speaks of how he was rejected, “Jesus is “‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.” We see the sorrow Christ felt in the Garden of Gethsemane in Matthew 26:37-39 “He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Going to the cross caused Jesus great anguish, but He was obedient to the will of the Father, regardless of this personal cost. The attitude of the crowd shows their ‘we don’t care’ feelings towards Jesus and his innocence. Matthew 27:21-23 gives the scene as it unfolds;  “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” asked the governor. “Barabbas,” they answered. 22 “What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” Pilate asked. They all answered, “Crucify him!” 23 “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”

How do you identify with Jesus and the sorrow He felt by dying on the cross? Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can know freedom from the sorrow and death my sins deserve. He was the man of my sorrow as He bore my sins on the cross. Thank you Jesus!

Linda

The Way, Thank you Jesus

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This name of God was spoken to Jesus’ disciples to give them hope and clarity as He was going away and He knew they would be confused and even bewildered. He wanted them to know that He was The Way. Given time all would become clear, but Jesus spoke these words in comfort to the disciples as He was preparing them for His death and departure.  Jesus said in John 14:1-4 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.”   Jesus wanted them to know He was leaving but for them not to fear and know He was going to get a place in heaven ready for them.  Thomas did not understand and questioned Jesus in verse 5, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?”  Jesus’ answer is profound and complete.  “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”  John 14:6    He went on to tell Thomas and the others how He and the Father were one and if they had seen Him then they also had see God the Father and knew Him to be true.

What did Jesus mean with His I AM statements?   I am the way– the way to heaven and eternal life,  the way to a relationship with God.   I am the truth– He is the truth of God, the gospel.  He is the Life-He is the giver of life-both physical and spiritual, the one who brings eternal life through faith in Him, the one who provides fullness of life here and now.   The way to God is only through faith in Jesus.   Jesus was God and knew that men would doubt, men would seek to earn their way to heaven, that men would claim they knew another way to get to heaven through faith in another person or things.  Jesus knew what was coming and His answer leaves no room for those thoughts.  He is the only way to God and He knows that way perfectly.   He is the truth of God, the Life giver for now and eternity and the pathway to reach full relationship with God is through Him alone.   Martin Luther had it right in His 5 Solices- Faith Alone, Scripture Alone, Christ Alone, Grace Alone and Glory to God Alone.  Our faith in Jesus rests on His Word, His person and His Work on the Cross on our behalf. 

Paul wanted believers to know Jesus was the only way to God and spoke in Acts 4:12 about this truth. “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” One can only be saved by the only one who can save us = Jesus. He was the perfect sacrifice acceptable to God and His blood atones for our sin through our faith in Him. In 1 Timothy 2:5 we read, “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,” Jesus is the the one who cleanses us and presents us able to stand before God. The only way that can happen is found in Jesus.

5 solices

Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can know the way of salvation and relationship with God, experience the fullness of the life He has for me and know as much truth about God as I can absorb. Thank you Jesus for providing a way for all of us to be with God, see His truth and promises of a life worth living now and in the future!

Linda

A Personal Name for God, Friend

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One of the more personal names for God is friend. Jesus told his disciples He was their friend and that applies to each of us as we embrace Jesus by faith. We too become His friends. I love the old hymn, “What a friend I have in Jesus”.  The lyrics speak of our friend Jesus bearing all our sins and griefs and our privilege of taking our problems to Him in prayer.   Jesus called us His friends in John 15:14-15 “ You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.”   

Being called a friend of Jesus means we follow His Word and walk beside and with Him in our daily life.  He is right there to help us when we stumble, give a word of comfort or be our companion.  By following His pathway we are no longer just like a hired servants or one who receives orders to go along with him, but a friend to be confided in, helped and taught.   He also promises to reveal what He knows about God the Father to us.  A few verses later in John 15:18 Jesus warns us that being called His friend will put us in a position to be hated by others.  “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.”   He also speaks of this in Matthew 10:22 “and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.”   I love the promise Jesus gives at the end of the Matthew verse.  Standing with Jesus and enduring the derision and persecution that the unbelieving world places upon us because we proclaim Him, will bring a great reward. 

Because Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead, I have a friend in Jesus who will never leave me nor forsake me. Where do you need such a friend today? Reach out to Him in prayer and let Him know of your thoughts, hopes and struggles. He will be there for you as no one has ever been before!

Linda

Suggestion:  Spend some time with your friend Jesus today.  Go for a prayer, praise walk with Jesus.  Talk with Him as you walk along and praise Him for His provision and the glory you see along the way.  Can’t get out?  Just gaze out a window and spend time journeying with Jesus in prayer.